House of Courage
by TMNTfan1
Summary: Annabelle Black is starting her school years at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, she didn't count on her last name causing some issues. Luckily, some new friends should be able to make her life a little easier. Follow Anna on her first four years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. STORY IS MOSTLY RATED T, BUT ONE CHAPTER IS RATED M!
1. Prologue

A 21 year old witch stood in the dark street on Halloween night, tears glistening in her green eyes as she held a trembling three old girl in her arms. She watched as the man before her was subdued by a team of Aurors.

"Wren! Wren, please!" the man shouted, his curly, black hair falling over his eyes as he fought to look at her. "Wren, I didn't do it, please, you have to believe me!"

She closed her eyes as a tear slipped down her cheek. When she opened them again, she looked at the head Auror. "Please, may I speak to him?" she asked desperately.

The Auror looked her over doubtfully before his eyes softened. "Make it quick." he ordered, keeping a hold on the cuffs on the man's wrists.

When they were standing face to face, the man looked down at her with tears filling his own gray eyes. "Love, I didn't do it. You know I'd never-"

"I know, Sirius. I know you'd never betray James and Lily." Wren cut in, shifting the little girl into one arm so she could rest her hand on her husband's cheek.

"Then tell them!" he begged, leaning closer and causing the Auror to cautiously tighten his hold on the cuffs.

"I tried, Sirius!" she shouted desperately, her hand falling back to hold her daughter. "I tried, but there's no evidence! No one really knows what happened tonight! I believe you, but there's no evidence! There's nothing I can do." she ended in a whisper, her throat closing in grief. She had truly tried everything in the short amount of time she'd been given.

"If they could just listen to me-" Sirius started.

"I love you." Wren cut in, seeing that the Aurors were getting anxious to leave. There was nothing more she could do, but she could make sure he knew she believed him and loved him.

A tear fell down Sirius' cheek as he stared into her sharp green eyes, the ones that normally held the determined fire that made him fall in love with her.

"I love you, too." he whispered. The movement of the little girl's head against Wren's shoulder made his eyes shift to stare into her big, green eyes, her hair was short and bluish gray for the moment.

"Daddy." she spoke, lifting her hand toward him. He wanted nothing more than to take his daughter into his arms and hold her close before they took him away, because he had the feeling he'd never be able to again. But with his hands cuffed behind his back, he couldn't do that. Instead, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, his tears falling into her hair. When he pulled back, he pressed his forehead into the toddler's, looking down at her face and trying to burn it into his memory.

"I love you so much, Annabelle." he whispered to his little girl. A quiet sob escaped Wren's throat before she could stop it and she stepped forward to wrap her free arm around Sirius, holding her little family close for probably the last time in a long time.

"Please remember me." Sirius whispered into his wife's hair, not sure if he was talking to Wren or their daughter.

"Always." Wren promised, pressing her face into his neck.

"Alright, that's enough. You're off to Azkaban by orders of Bartemius Crouch Sr." the Auror announced, pulling Sirius from his family before he was ready. He pulled at the cuffs, his body instinctively fighting to get back to his wife and child.

Annabelle wiggled in her mum's arms, her hands reaching for her dad and tears filling her eyes. "Daddy!" she cried.

"Annabelle!"

 **XXX**

 **Hi! This was the Prologue for my story** _ **House of Courage**_ **, which I so far plan to be the first of a trilogy, following my character, Annabelle, through Hogwarts and through the second war. Since I have to cram nearly ten years into three books, they will be semi-long books with mostly-long chapters. Most of this story is background and character building, but I will try to make it interesting.**

 **I hope you liked the Prologue and give this story a chance! Let me know what you thought!**


	2. A Hogwarts Welcome

Annabelle Black, affectionately known as Anna, moved through the crowd at Kings Cross Station, pushing her heavy trolley ahead of her. She looked very different from when she'd been a toddler. Her hair was long and wavy, dark brown with a layer of black underneath; and her eyes were gray. Her skin was pale with a touch of pink to her cheeks, which were still a bit rounded at 11 years old.

She nervously ran through the wall between Platforms 9 and 10 ahead of her mum, almost shocked when she came through on the other side. Even though she expected it, it was still surprising. She quickly moved away from the wall before her mother came through behind her.

Wren Black had straight brown hair, which she'd cut to chin length about 8 years back. She'd aged a bit raising her daughter alone for 8 years as well as working a full time job at the Ministry in the Department of Security, though she was still quite beautiful and was frequently asked out by her coworkers who knew she was single, despite keeping her married name and wedding ring on her finger. She always turned them down. She was frequently busy, but as far as Anna was concerned she was the best mum in the world.

The pair stopped just at the entrance to the train and Wren turned to look down at her daughter. Worry was clear in her green eyes as she brushed Anna's hair from her face.

"Are you sure about this? It's not too late to change your mind. I'd be more than happy to home school you, sweetie." she suggested for the hundredth time.

Anna shook her head. "No, mum, I'm sure. I want to go to Hogwarts, please."

Being an only child, Anna hadn't made many friends in her life. Her mum tried to shield her too much. Hogwarts was her one chance to try and make friends, and maybe even find love when she's older, like her mum said she did.

Wren sighed, a sad smile slipping on her face. "Very well. Just…remember, people may treat you differently when they hear your last name. And some people might say bad things about your dad. And…remember to try and keep your…abilities a secret." she ended in a whisper, leaning closer so her daughter could hear her.

Anna had been born a Metamorphmagus, which meant she had the ability to change her appearance to anything she wanted. Her mum had always been worried about it, because if someone decided to use the Imperius Curse on her, they could make her become anyone they wanted. Their possibilities would be endless. So, Wren figured it'd just be safer to try and keep it secret. Anna didn't change her appearance that much anyway, choosing to keep her natural hair and eye color.

"I'll do my best, mum." Anna promised.

Wren smiled, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. "I know. I love you, Anna. Have fun and make sure you write to me and tell me what House you get placed in and tell me everything, okay?"

Anna laughed. "I will, mum. Promise." She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss her mum's cheek before pulling away and getting on the train.

Anna walked down the isle of the train and sat in the first empty compartment she found, which was pretty quick because they were one of the first people to arrive. It was only 10:25; the train wouldn't leave for another 35 minutes.

She sat silently by the window, just staring out at the Platform and watching other students say goodbye to their families. She felt a twinge in her chest as she watched the fathers of every family hug their children. She didn't remember much about her own dad, just vague memories from when she was little, kept alive mostly due to photos around the house. Her mum didn't talk about him much, and Anna had stopped asking about him because she hated the sad look on her mum's face when he was mentioned.

By the time 11:00 rolled around, a few other first year girls had joined Anna in her compartment. They made small talk, but for the most part Anna stayed out of their conversations. They merely talked about what houses they hoped to be in and what their parents and older siblings told them to expect for the year. Anna, personally, wasn't sure which house she'd like to be placed in, as long as it _wasn't_ Slytherin. She doubted she would be placed there anyway, since, according to her mum, her dad had been disowned from the Black family, both for running away to live at a friend's house and for marrying a halfblood. Her mum had been a Ravenclaw when she was in Hogwarts, and her dad a Gryffindor.

During the ride, the others continued to talk. Eventually an older lady came by with a trolley full of candy and Anna bought a couple chocolate frogs to nibble on. After a few hours, the train pulled into a station and everyone began getting off the train. Anna followed the crowd onto the platform, not quite able to see above a group of students at least a head taller than her.

"Firs' years! Firs' years!" a loud voice in a thick, Scottish-like accent shouted above the crowd. Anna followed the group she was surrounded by in the direction of the voice. Her eyes widened in surprise when she found the owner of the voice. He was huge, at least twice the size of the average person, and about three times as wide. He had long, shaggy black hair and a beard that hid most of his face, and was wearing a large fur coat. Anna made sure to stay near the back of the crowd of first years, partially nervous about this enormous man.

When they were sure all the first years were gathered around the large man, who introduced himself as Hagrid, he lead them toward the nearby lake where dozens of small boats were on the shore. Anna followed the girls she'd been sitting with on the train and climbed into one of the boats. The dark lake was almost black under the night sky, but after a while Anna wasn't even paying attention to the water.

Hogwarts castle looked even more amazing than she imagined. With the lit windows, it seemed to glow in front of the night sky. Anna's mouth fell open in amazement. It was simply the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen in her life.

They reached the other end of the lake in about ten minutes, and Hagrid lead them inside the castle to a room where a strict-looking woman in elegant, black robes and a pointed hat was waiting for them.

"Here're the firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid announced to her.

"Thank you, Hagrid." she glanced at him before turning back to the group standing before her. "Welcome to Hogwarts. In a few moments we'll be passing through these doors and you shall join your classmates," she started, gesturing to the large doors behind her, "however, before you can take your seats you must be sorted into one of the different Houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."

A few whispers erupted around the group before they fell silent under Professor McGonagall's stern look.

"While you are here, your House will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year the House with the most points will win the House Cup. Now, follow me into the Great Hall and we shall begin the Sorting Ceremony."

The group followed her through the doors and Anna tried to take deep breaths. Her nerves were catching up with her and her stomach felt sick. She counted to ten in her head, trying to gain control of her emotions. She'd learned over the years that her hair, or even some other features, could change colors if she felt an extreme emotion. Her mum wouldn't be happy if she gave away her Metamorphic abilities the first night at Hogwarts, especially during the Sorting in front of the whole school.

McGonagall approached a stool in front of the Hall. Atop the stool was a ratty-looking, pointed hat with wrinkles and tears. Anna eyed it curiously, and a moment later it began to sing a song about the houses. It was rather entertaining, to be honest. When it finished, the whole room applauded and McGonagall stepped forward with a long piece of parchment and looked at the top of it. She began reading off names, and Anna quickly realized it would be going in Alphabetical order, meaning her name would be coming up very soon. Well, her nervous stomach was back.

Sure enough, her name was the third on the list.

"Black, Annabelle."

Whispers instantly erupted from the Hall and Anna ducked her head as she pushed through the crowd and approached the stool. Professor McGonagall smiled comfortingly at her as Anna slowly climbed onto the stool like the others had done. McGonagall placed the hat on Anna's head, it was so big it covered her eyes, and a voice spoke. Since she hadn't heard it talking earlier, she assumed it was in her head.

 _'Aah, another Black. I haven't sorted a Black in a few years, though you're quite a bit different from all of them.'_

Anna quickly took that as a compliment.

The voice chuckled. _'Yes, I had a feeling you would. Well, it's clear you'd never belong in Slytherin, which I'm sure you also take as a compliment. You don't seem to fit very well in Hufflepuff. You're quite bright, so maybe Ravenclaw, though…I think you may be better off in Gryffindor."_

 _'But I'm not brave.'_ Anna admitted silently. _'Gryffindor's the House of courage, but I-'_

 _'Yes, I know what Gryffindor stands for, Annabelle. I sing a song about it every year. And not everyone who gets placed in Gryffindor is placed there because of their immense bravery. Many of them need to find their courage, and you are one of them. And what better place to find your courage than in the House of Bravery? That is why I've decided to place you in-'_

"Gryffindor!"

Annabelle stared out at the Hall as everyone applauded, though she noticed a small pause beforehand and it wasn't as enthusiastic as the ones before her. Swallowing, Anna took a breath as she hopped down from the stool and approached the Gryffindor table. She tried to ignore the stares and whispers as she passed, people asking how a Black was sorted into anything other than Slytherin.

She sat down at the Gryffindor table, several seats down from the older students with her eyes kept on the tabletop.

The room fell quiet as the next name was called, but Anna didn't pay attention. She was trying not to freak out over people already whispering about her. Suddenly, the seat next to her was no longer empty. She jumped and turned to look up at the boy sitting next to her, her body tensing with nerves. He was at least a few years older than her and had shaggy, red hair, was completely covered in freckles to the point it looked like his skin was tanner than it was, his hands were calloused, and he looked stocky and muscular. His school robes showed a red and gold Gryffindor tie and a Prefects badge of the same colors. However, his friendly blue eyes and easy-going smile eased Anna's nerves.

"I'm Charlie Weasley." he whispered, holding his hand out for her to shake. She took it slowly, giving him a small smile. "They said your name's Annabelle, right?" he checked.

"Yeah." she whispered with a nod.

"Excited to be at Hogwarts?" he asked kindly, glancing at the front before turning his eyes back to her.

Anna nodded with a more relaxed smile. They paused their conversation to applaud when a student was placed in Ravenclaw. "Yeah, I am. I've been looking forward to it for a long time. But I'm kinda nervous, too, I guess." she whispered.

"What's there to be nervous about?" Charlie asked kindly, her brows furrowed a bit.

Anna glanced around the Hall before looking back at him. "Well, my last name seems to have gotten me some unwanted attention." she pointed out.

Charlie shrugged, also glancing around. "Ah, don't let that get to you. Give it a few days and you'll meet some friends in your classes. In _most_ of the Houses, last names don't mean much." he explained quietly with a pointed glance over at the Slytherin table.

Anna nodded as the hat shouted 'Gryffindor' again, causing the Hall to erupt in cheers. She tried not to feel bitter that she didn't get that reception. A black girl with braided hair approached the table and sat closer to the older students than Anna had. People patted her back and leaned over the table to shake her hand.

The sorting lasted a little while. For some people, the hat barely touched their heads and they were sorted, others had the hat on their head for a good ten minutes. When there were only a few first years left, the name 'Weasley, Fred' was called.

Anna glanced at Charlie and noticed a smile on his face. She figured they were related, probably brothers since this other boy had red hair.

The boy was placed in Gryffindor after the hat sat on his head for all of one second. He grinned excitedly and hurried over to their table. Charlie stood up to give him a high five from across the table and people patted his back and shook his hand. Anna gave him a smile, but he seemed to pay more attention to the other students.

The next name was 'Weasley, George', and Anna quickly realized he was identical to Fred, obviously a twin. The hat barely touched his head and he was also placed in Gryffindor. Another round of cheering filled the hall as he quickly joined his twin. George received the same greeting from his brother and other classmates.

When the last student was placed, an older wizard with a long, white beard and blue robes stepped forward to give a speech. This was obviously the famous Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. The speech was mostly to welcome the first years and explain certain rules as well as when their classes would be starting. After the speech was finished, Dumbledore announced that they could 'dig in'.

An entire feast, enough to feed an army, magically appeared on the tables. Anna's mouth fell open in amazement, the corners tugging up in a smile as she took in all the food.

"Ever seen this much food?" Charlie asked with a grin as he started piling food onto his plate.

"No." she answered honestly. Since it had only been her and her mum for as long as she could remember, her mum usually only made, or ordered, just enough to feed them each meal, occasionally having a plate or two for leftovers. Anna could easily believe the amount of food currently filling the Great Hall was probably more than she'd eaten in her life.

She ate mostly in silence, but she was fine with that. She could hear some of the conversations around the table, mostly from the other first years. Fred and George Weasley seemed to quickly become friends with another boy named Lee Jordon, who was black with dreadlocks. The black girl Anna had noticed earlier, named Angelina, was talking excitedly with a girl named Alicia Spinnet. She also noticed another redhead occasionally leaning over to talk to the twins and Charlie, and she quickly figured out he must be another brother of theirs. The twins seemed to give him a hard time, and he did seem a bit…stuck-up.

Charlie was really the only one to actually talk to Anna. He mostly asked her what classes she was most excited for, where she's from, and explained where some of the classes were and who the Professors were.

After the feast drew to a close, all the first years followed their Prefects to their common rooms. The Gryffindor common room was on the seventh floor after climbing large, stone staircases. Eventually, they came to a portrait of a fat lady in a dress, who asked them for a password. When the Prefect leading them gave it, the portrait swung open. Anna was as amazed as her classmates as they stepped through the square hole in the wall and into a large, circular room decorated in red and gold. There were several armchairs, a few tables, and a large couch. One wall was covered by a huge fireplace, while the other walls were decorated with tapestries. There were two doorways on either side of the room, as well.

"Those doors lead to your dormitories. There's the girls', there's the boys'. I should warn you that the girls' staircase becomes a slide should a boy step on it." the first year boys instantly started whispering and snickering until Charlie bopped one of the twins on the head to make them shut up. "There's no specific bedtime, however for first years through fourth years, curfew to be in the common room is 8:00; for older students it's 9:00. Are there any questions?"

When no one spoke up, Charlie stepped around the group to stand next to his fellow Prefect. "If any of you find that you do have questions later, just look for one of us, or another older student. Your luggage has already been brought in for you and placed in your dormitory, which is on the first floor you come to on your stairs. We'll be around if you need anything."

The group instantly split up, a few people going up their staircases while a few went to sit on the couch. Anna headed up the girls' stairs and entered her dormitory. She quickly found her luggage by the bed closest to the window that overlooked the grounds. She opened her trunk and grabbed her pajamas. With an awkward glance around the room, which a couple of the other girls had entered, she decided to change in the first year girls' bathroom on the same floor.

After doing just that, as well as using the loo and brushing her teeth, she left the bathroom and returned to her bed. She noticed Angelina and Alicia sitting on one of the other beds, their legs crossed and heads bent close together as they whispered excitedly together. When she entered the room, they paused and glanced at her for a moment before returning to their conversation.

Her chest aching, Annabelle climbed into her bed and pulled her blanket up to her chin, rolling on her side so her back faced the other girls. Taking a deep breath, she tried to clear her mind so she could sleep with the hope that tomorrow would be better.

 **XXX**

 **There's the first chapter. I know it's not very eventful, but this is just the beginning.**

 **Also, I'm going to be cramming about four years into this book, so Anna's first year will take up about the first ten chapters, I'll gloss over her second year in a few chapters, and focus mainly on her third and fourth year, which for reference would be during** _ **Sorcerer's Stone**_ **and** _ **Chamber of Secrets**_ **.**

 **This book, unfortunately, is more of a character-building/background story for Anna. So there's not too much of an actual plot, just some different kinds of conflict throughout the story.**

 **Let me know what you think so far, reviews really help me! I'll be updating at least once a week.**


	3. Sitting Alone

The next morning, Annabelle woke up just before 7:00. The other girls weren't awake yet, so she rushed through getting ready, pulling her uniform on in the bathroom and brushing her hair. She looked herself over in the mirror and her eyes fell on the layer of black under the rest of her dark brown hair.

She squinted her eyes with the effort of focusing on that specific feature, but after several moments she let out a puff of air she'd been holding with no result to show for it. No matter what she did, she'd never been able to get rid of the layer of black under her hair. Her mum reassured her it was probably just because she was always so scared and nervous, but Anna worried it was because of her heritage. After all, she's a Black, and they were known for being evil and powerful, which are a couple of the features the color black stands for. She worried being unable to remove the section of black from her hair meant she would always have a bit of evil in her no matter what she did.

Giving a sigh, Anna just went back to getting ready, tying the red and gold tie she'd found with her uniform around her neck. The night before it had been black, like the other first years' ties, but when she woke up it was her House colors.

When she deemed herself ready for her first day of classes, Anna went back to her bed and grabbed her shoulder bag that held all her school supplies. Slipping the strap over her shoulder, she grabbed her wand, a 12 2/3 inch English Oak wand with a unicorn hair core, off her bedside table and left the room.

She retraced her footsteps and thankfully found the Great Hall. There were only a few students at each table, since breakfast was from 7:00 to 9:30. She suspected most students wouldn't be arriving until around 8. She walked along the Gryffindor table all the way to the other end of the Hall, taking a seat at the very end.

There was a smorgasbord of food spread out over the table already. She went with a simple meal of a couple fried eggs, some toast, and a cup of tea with two sugar cubes. She silently flipped through her Transfiguration textbook as she ate, more for something to do while she ate than anything. She'd already at least skimmed the first few chapters of all her books.

As the morning went by, students and Professors entered the Great Hall and sat down to begin eating their breakfast, the volume of voices growing louder every time someone else entered the room.

To Anna's disappointment, no one sat with her. There was enough room at the Gryffindor table that the space around her was easily left empty. She tried not to let this get to her, but it was very difficult.

"Ms. Black?" Anna looked up to see Professor McGonagall looking down at her, holding a stack of parchment in her hand.

"Yes, Professor?" Anna asked, straightening her back as she faced her intimidating Head of House.

"Do you enjoy sitting alone?"

Anna was thrown by the question. "Um,…I'm fine with it-"

"I didn't ask if you were fine, Ms. Black." Professor McGonagall interrupted briskly. "I asked if you enjoy sitting alone."

Anna looked down at her empty plate before admitting. "Not particularly."

"Then why are you eating alone?"

Anna glanced around to check people weren't staring at her before looking back up at her Professor. "I was one of the first people in here this morning, Professor. No one sat by me, am I supposed to look like an idiot and move to sit next to someone?" she asked quietly, trying not to come off as rude.

"No. But you should keep something in mind. If you go through this whole year waiting for people to approach you, wanting to be your friend, you might be disappointed. Sometimes it has to be you who reaches out and makes friends." McGonagall answered before tapping a piece of parchment with her wand and handing it to Anna. "Here is your schedule for the year, Ms. Black. If you need help finding any of your classes, don't be afraid to ask me or any of your older classmates."

Anna watched the older witch move on to the group of students a few seats down before looking over her schedule. Since it was a Thursday she'd be starting the day with Charms, Herbology, then after lunch she'd have Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and finally Flying.

She stuck around for a little bit, but eventually Anna left the Great Hall and headed down the corridor before she realized she had no idea where her Charms class was. She looked back and forth along the corridor, but no one was around. After waiting awkwardly for a few minutes, the large doors of the Great Hall creaked open and then closed after someone stepped out.

Charlie Weasley paused at the sight of the familiar first year before approaching her with a friendly smile.

"Hey Annabelle. Looking for your first class?" he guessed.

Anna smiled in embarrassment. "Am I that obvious?"

"Not exactly, I've just seen many kids on their first day with that same look on their face."

Anna laughed, awkwardly rubbing one hand over her arm. "Well, at least I'm not alone."

Charlie chuckled. "What's your first class?"

"Charms."

Charlie nodded. "It's up on the third floor, in the charms corridor. Come on, I can at least point you in the right direction before I head to my own class."

Anna nodded and followed Charlie down the corridor toward a set of stairs. After they went up a couple sets of stairs, Anna suddenly felt something small hit the back of her head.

"Ow!" Anna lifted a hand to rub the back of her head as a loud cackle echoed in the halls.

Charlie sighed as a few more pieces of what looked like chalk hit the two students. "Come on, Peeves. Can't you behave for a day?"

Anna was about to ask who Peeves was, when she was interrupted by a loud pop and a small ghost-looking man appeared with dark eyes and a wide mouth stretched into a playful smirk.

"Now, where's the fun in that?" he taunted, chucking a piece of chalk at Charlie's face. Charlie whacked it away with his hand just in time.

"Watch it, Peeves, or I'll sick the Bloody Baron on you again."

Peeves blew a loud raspberry at Charlie before disappearing.

"Um,…what was that?" Anna asked curiously. She'd seen several ghosts at the feast the night before, but that Peeves guy looked a bit different.

"That was Peeves the Poltergeist. He's always causing problems, but it's usually harmless. Although, I think one year he nearly caught a girl on fire." Charlie finished thoughtfully.

Anna stared at him with wide eyes. When Charlie got a look at her face, he chuckled.

"Relax. It's usually pretty harmless. He just likes getting a laugh at other peoples' expense. Now, come on, I'll show you your class."

When she reached the mentioned open doorway, she peaked around the corner into the empty classroom. There were three rows of desks facing what she guessed was the teacher's table. Behind the teacher's table was an upholstered chair with a tall back, two blackboards, and a small bookshelf under two windows.

Entering slowly, Anna sat in the desk that was in the back, right corner and got out her book and wand, placing them on the desk. She waited silently, and within five minutes students started to trickle in. She noticed they all either had Gryffindor or Slytherin ties.

She noticed, as the seats filled up, that whenever a Gryffindor looked at the seat next to her, they'd look nervous or unsure. The Slytherins merely looked disgusted. By the time the last two students came in, two Slytherin boys, there were only two seats left; the one next to Anna's and the next one over.

They looked at the seats, then at Anna, and then each other before diving for the seat that wasn't next to her. They wrestled for a moment, the sound causing a few students to turn and watch, before one boy elbowed his friend and took the preferred seat. The other boy grouchily took the seat next to Anna, though he made a show of scooting closer to his friend.

Charms was spent with Professor Flitwick, an extremely short man with white hair and green robes, going over the year's curriculum, what they would eventually be learning, and gave them a short reading assignment for their next class on Monday. Most of Annabelle's classes went much the same way. Students avoided sitting with her at all costs, any partner work she did alone, and a couple teachers gave them homework. By the time Defense Against the Dark Arts was over, Anna had come to a conclusion.

The Slytherins didn't like her because she was in Gryffindor, so to them there must be something wrong with her. She had a feeling if she'd been in Slytherin they would've respected her, at first, because of her last name. The rest of the Houses didn't like her because she's a Black, who are well-known for their pureblood mania and being supporters of You-Know-Who.

She couldn't help thinking that if they'd just look past her last name they'd see that she was different. Anna was a halfblood herself and had no relationship with her father's side since he'd been disowned as a teenager. She didn't share their beliefs, anyway. Her mum had told her that one of the smartest, kindest people she knew had been a muggleborn witch. She didn't see how muggleborns were inferior if they were just as skilled and talented as purebloods.

That afternoon, about 3:30, Anna joined her classmates outside for their first Flying Lesson. The brooms were lined up in two rows facing each other. Anna stood by the broom on the end, standing in the row with the other Gryffindors. The Slytherins stood across from them. Their Professor was Madame Hooch, an older woman with short, spiky, gray hair and yellow eyes. She stepped forward and stood at the end of the two rows.

"Good afternoon, class." she greeted.

"Good afternoon, Madame Hooch." they all echoed.

"Welcome to your first Flying lesson. Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Hurry up." she urged as everyone did as told. "Now, stick your right hand over the broom," she explained, demonstrating with her own broom, "and say 'Up'."

Several voices started echoing that word as they followed their Professor's instructions. Anna stared down at the broom, holding her hand in the air above it as she said, "Up."

The broom shifted and hovered an inch off the ground. Encouraged by the response, Anna repeated the word with more conviction in her voice, _"Up."_

The broom steadily floated up into her waiting hand so she could grip the handle. She saw the Weasley twins, who were standing next to her, stare at her in shock before trying again themselves.

Annabelle couldn't help feeling proud. She was the first in her class to get her broom in her hand.

One by one, the rest of the students were able to do the same. When everyone had their broom in their hand, Madame Hooch told them to mount their broom and hold on tight.

"Now, when I blow my whistle I want you all to kick off from the ground hard, keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle. Three, two," and she blew the whistle in her hand.

Anna pushed off the ground with her feet, and the broom lifted a few feet off the ground. She almost panicked, but managed to stay calm and let the broom hover, only tightening her grip on the handle until her knuckles turned white. She noticed a few others did the same, including one of the twins next to her, but it took the other students a few tries before they were able to hover. As Madame Hooch ordered, Anna tilted the broom forward just a bit, causing the broom to lower until her feet touched the ground again.

They didn't get much farther than that for their first lesson. The few students that excelled in getting their brooms to hover; which included Anna, the Weasley twins, and a couple Slytherins; were allowed to fly laps around the courtyard as long as they didn't go more than a few feet above the ground. The hour went much too fast for Anna's liking; since she was actually having fun in this class.

XXX

On Friday, the only class Annabelle had was two hours of Potions. Going down into the dungeons alone to find the classroom after breakfast was certainly creepy, and Anna hoped the other first years would hurry.

There were about a dozen two-person tables in the classroom, the walls were lined with pickled animals in glass jars, in a corner there was a supply closet, and behind the teacher's desk was a blackboard.

Anna sat in one of the back desks, wrapping her hands around her arms to try and chase away the chill. The dungeons were very cold compared to the rest of the castle.

The other first year Gryffindors and Slytherins filtered into the classroom in groups and pairs of the friends they had made the past couple days. A Slytherin girl ended up sitting at the same table as Anna, but she hardly spared her a glance. Instead, the other girl turned to talk to her Slytherin classmates at the table next to her.

About a minute after class was due to start, a man swept into the room, his long, black robes billowing out behind him. He was pale and had shoulder-length black hair that looked a bit oily.

"You can put your wands away, as there will be no frivolous wand-waving and silly incantations in this class." he announced as he turned and stood at the front of the room, looking over the class. "I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for the select few that have the potential I can teach you how to bewitch the mind, ensnare the senses, bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death." He paused to let his eyes sweep the dim classroom. "Now, when I say your name, call 'here', and do so quickly so we can get on with our lesson."

Anna expected her name to be the first called, since her last name was near the front of the Alphabet, but to her surprise Professor Snape started with the Weasley twins at the end of the Alphabet. He got all the way to the bottom rather quickly before he paused. Then, he called her name.

"Annabelle Black."

Anna swallowed before calling out, "Here." Something about the way he said it, practically sneering her last name like it was beneath him, made her uneasy.

He looked up from the parchment, his dark eyes quickly finding her. "Ah, yes, Miss Black. You've got the same arrogant look your father did in his school years."

The other students glanced at her and started whispering among themselves, several asking if anyone knew who her father was. As far as she knew, no one really knew except a few teachers.

Snape, however, didn't seem done yet. "If I remember correctly, Miss Black, your mother was a Ravenclaw when she was in Hogwarts, correct? Of course, some would question her intelligence getting herself pregnant while still in school."

Anna's eyes burned in embarrassment as the volume of whispers grew, several gasps letting up around the room.

"Let's see if your intelligence matches your mother's, shall we, Miss Black?" Snape continued, "Could you name one use for Flobberworm Mucus?"

Anna opened her mouth, racking her brain for an answer. She'd read the first few chapters of her Potions textbook, _Magical Drafts and Potions_ , but she didn't remember reading anything about Flobberworm Mucus. Finally, she lowered her head in embarrassment and shook her head.

"Really?" Snape drawled, "Well, then why don't you tell me what Dittany is used for?"

Once again, the name was unfamiliar to her, and she shook her head silently.

"Such a shame. It appears you've inherited your father's dimwitted mind." With that, Snape turned to the blackboard and began writing down notes for them to copy.

While the rest of the class scrambled to get out their notebooks and quills, Anna glared at her desktop, her arms crossed in front of her. She didn't know how Snape knew her parents, but she didn't like how he seemed to hate her because of it. She had a feeling Potions would be hell for her.

XXX

After Potions class, Anna ate her lunch quickly before getting out her Potions textbook. Imagine her chagrin to discover that Flobberworm Mucus and Dittany were among the last things mentioned in the textbook, meaning they probably wouldn't be learning about them until near the end of the year. She hadn't read that far ahead before the year started.

As evening approached, Anna was among most of her House hanging out in the common room, working on her homework. However, it was extremely difficult to focus when she could hear whispers and every time she glanced up it was to see people quickly look away from her. The things that had been said in their Potions class that morning had spread like wildfire and soon the whole school was looking at her and whispering, theories on who her parents were growing like crazy.

Finally, Anna couldn't take sitting there anymore. She decided she wanted some fresh air. So, she took her things up to her dormitory before leaving out the portrait whole. She ignored the Fat Lady warning her against being out past curfew, hurrying down the steps toward the nearest exit.

She made a casual, yet careful, walk to the broomshed near the Quidditch pitch, where all the brooms were kept. She glanced around nervously before opening the door and stepping inside. She glanced around before grabbing one of the school brooms and leaving the shed. She gave one more glance around before mounting the broom and pushing off the ground and flying into the air. The broom shook a bit the higher she went, but otherwise flew fine. She let the broom drift casually on the wind, just letting the cool breeze brush her cheeks and calm herself down.

Anna sighed deeply, practically lounging on the old broom as she looked over the school grounds. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and looked behind her. She could see someone else on a broomstick flying toward her.

Panicked, Anna faced forward and leaned forward, causing the broom to shoot forward and away from the other flier. She knew by now she was out after curfew, and she didn't want to get in trouble.

The guy behind her easily caught up to her, but he was still several meters back when she sped around one of the castle towers. He easily kept up, and she tried not to freak out. When they neared the next tower, an idea popped into Anna's head. She leaned lower over the broomstick, causing it to speed up just a bit. She rounded the tower and then jerked up and back on the broom handle, causing the broom the skid to a stop and back into the little corner behind the tower.

The other flier sped right past her, not noticing her move. Anna stayed where she was, panting from the adrenalin rush. Then, she heaved a heavy sigh before peaking out from behind the tower. Seeing that the coast was clear, she hurriedly flew back toward the broomshed. When she neared the ground she hopped off, the momentum of her broom making her stumble as she hurried to the shed. She entered and put the broom in its rightful place.

A shadow crossed over Anna from where the moonlight was peaking through the doorway. She gasped and spun around. Standing in the doorway, a broom in his hand, was Charlie Weasley.

"I thought that was you out there." he commented casually, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe and blocking Anna's exit. "That was some impressive flying for a first year."

Anna swallowed nervously. "I-I'm sorry. I know I'm out after curfew and…am I in trouble?" she asked meekly.

Charlie looked her over, his brows furrowed thoughtfully. "How about I make a deal with you?" he offered instead. "I won't deduct points or give you detention _if_ …you try out for the Quidditch team."

Anna's mouth fell open in shock and she merely stared at him for a moment. "Huh? You…you want me to try out for the _Quidditch team_?!"

Charlie shrugged. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't think you had a chance. I know good flying when I see it, and you've got potential."

Anna stared up at him. "But…are first years even allowed on the team?"

Charlie grimaced a bit. "Not typically…it is a rather brutal sport. I can't guarantee you'd get on the team if you tried out, but you've definitely got a chance."

"Why should I bother trying out if I probably won't make it?" Anna asked, completely confused.

"For one, if you don't try you'll never know if you could've made it or not. For two, Quidditch is a big thing at Hogwarts. Even if you don't make it on the team, if kids see how good you are you may make a few friends." Charlie answered with a shrug.

Anna eyed him dubiously. "I don't know the first thing about flying. That back there was beginners luck. I haven't properly been on a broom since…since I was about three." she admitted, going quiet near the end. Her father used to play with her on her toy broomstick. It was one of the few memories she actually had of him.

Charlie's eyebrows rose to his hairline, almost becoming hidden under the shaggy, ginger fringe. "Beginners luck…well then you've got more potential than I thought. How about this? If I remember correctly, you've got about a 2 hour break before dinner every week day except Thursdays, right?" Anna had just enough time to nod before he continued, "And I don't want to be presumptuous, but I'm going to guess you don't have any plans this weekend." Anna could feel herself blush as she shook her head. "Well, tryouts are in two weeks. If you're up for it, I could help you practice a little bit during some of our spare time, though we should probably keep it between us. Seeing as I'm Captain of the Quidditch team, some people might try saying I'm playing favorites."

Anna's brow furrowed, her head tilting a bit. "Are your brothers going to try out?"

Charlie grinned. "When you ask about my brothers, you should really be more specific since I've got five, but I'm assuming your talking about Fred and George." Anna nodded, her eyes slightly wide at the number of brothers Charlie had. "I don't think they're going to try out this year because first years typically aren't allowed, but they're definitely going to try out next year."

"Will people try saying you're playing favorites then, since they're your brothers?" Anna asked curiously.

"Probably, but that's completely ridiculous. I want our team to win, which means I want good players. I'm not going to pick a mediocre flier over someone who's way better than them, family or not. Of course, Fred and George are spectacular fliers when we play back home, so I have no doubt that they'll make the team when they eventually try out."

"So, why are you telling me to try out and not them?" Anna asked curiously.

Charlie searched Anna's eyes for a moment, making her mildly uncomfortable. "I guess…I don't know, you just seem like you could use a bit of a confidence boost. The twins have confidence to spare, so I don't have to worry about them." he added with a smirk, which Anna returned with a small smile.

"So,…you really want me to try out?" she double-checked.

Charlie shrugged. "It's either that or I give you a detention." His smile and tone told her he was joking.

Anna smiled and laughed. "Okay, fine. So, are we going to practice tomorrow?"

Charlie nodded. "Sure. How about you meet me here at…10:00 tomorrow morning?"

Anna nodded. "That should work."

"Great." Charlie grinned before placing his broom in the shed and leading the way out door. "Now, lets head back inside. You shouldn't get in trouble walking back with me, since I'm a Prefect, but we should still get back to the common room."


	4. Quidditch Tryouts

Less than a week later, Charlie entered the common room close to midnight after making rounds in the corridors. When he entered through the portrait hole, he saw Fred and George sitting on the couch with the first year they'd become friends with, Lee Jordan.

The three boys turned and looked up at him when he entered.

"Hi Charlie." the twins greeted in unison as he approached them.

"Hey, guys." he greeted, stopping behind the couch and resting his arms on the back of the couch. "What're you doing?"

"Transfiguration homework."

"It's due tomorrow." the twins answered one after the other.

Charlie nodded. Anna had mentioned the assignment earlier in the afternoon after their flying practice. They'd been practicing in much of their free time over the last few days, and Anna was really improving in her flying skills.

"So, what've you been up to lately?" one of the twins asked casually.

Charlie shrugged. "Nothing much. Just typical prefect stuff and homework. Why?"

One of the twins, he was pretty sure it was Fred, stared at him seriously. "We've just noticed you've been spending an awful lot of time with a certain first year, that's all."

Charlie leaned forward a bit, meeting his brother's eyes challengingly. "Oh really?"

"Yeah. You two usually arrive to dinner together." the other twin added suspiciously.

"Why would you even be spending any time with a random first year anyway? Especially a Black." the first twin continued, sounding disgusted.

Charlie found himself glaring at his brothers, who seemed a bit surprised. He was usually rather laidback, especially with his brothers.

"Maybe I wouldn't have to if the rest of you first years weren't so prejudice."

"Prejudice?" the three boys repeated, sounding confused.

"Yes, prejudice. Just because her last name's 'Black' you lot jump to the conclusion that she's like the rest of the Blacks. That she's obsessed with the Darks Arts and pureblood supremacy and all that. If you'd just get to know her you'd know she's nothing like that."

The twins eyed him dubiously, though he noticed one of them looked just a tiny bit sheepish.

Charlie sighed, pushing off the couch to stand straight up. "Whatever. It's your guys' loss. She's a pretty great girl, and I think you two would actually get along with her if you gave her a chance. But it's your choice."

With that, he turned and headed up the stairs to his dormitory.

XXX

Annabelle took a deep breath, her nervous stomach clenching horribly as she pulled her arm guards on over her fingerless gloves. After her uniform was on, and her hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, she followed the few other girls who were trying out onto the Quidditch pitch. There were at least fifteen people trying out, all of them at least a year older than Anna. She stayed at the back of the crowd as everyone talked and laughed among themselves, though she glanced nervously up at the stands. There were several students sitting up in the stands, clearly eager to watch the tryouts and see who made the team.

Eventually, Charlie entered the field with his broom and stood in front of everyone, calling loudly for everyone to stop talking. Anna peaked up at him from between the shoulders of two tall, muscular guys.

"Alright, before we start I want to remind those of you who were on the team last year, you still have to try out like everyone else, you're not guaranteed a spot this year. Now, obviously my position as Seeker is already spoken for. All other positions are fair game. So, lets start by splitting you guys up by which position you're trying out for. Keepers over here, Beaters here, and Chasers here." he ordered, gesturing to a different spot before him.

The small group split up, a few people standing in the Keeper section, about five in the Beater spot, and most of the group in the Chasers' spot. Looking at some of the people trying out for the Chaser position, Anna didn't really like her chances. During their practices, Charlie had told her that her maneuvering and agility made her perfect for the position of Chaser, but some of these other people looked like they'd be just as good, if not better.

Looking among the people trying out, Charlie split them up into two teams, though since there were so many people the teams were a bit bigger than normal. Anna tried to ignore that a few people were starting to notice her presence and whispering about her.

Charlie blew a whistle, and everyone mounted their brooms and lifted off into the air. Anna followed her assigned team, flying slowly around the pitch as they waited for the Quaffle to be thrown into the air.

The second the Quaffle was airborne, all the Chasers shot forward. Anna's fingers barely skimmed the surface of the ball before someone else snatched it from her hand. She swerved and barely missed crashing into another player, flying toward her team's goal when she saw the Quaffle being passed in that direction. She sped down the pitch, her eye fixed on the Quaffle under one guy's arm.

When they neared the goal, he threw it toward one of the hoops, but the boy acting as Keeper caught the ball with one hand before throwing it to Anna. She caught it one-handed, tucking it close to her chest as she spun around and flew back toward the opposite end of the pitch. Several players on the opposite team tried to intercept her, but she dove down under one and then flipped over another player. Her eyes caught the eyes of another girl on her assigned team playing as Chaser. Anna quickly threw the ball toward the other girl, who caught it easily and then zoomed toward the other goals.

Anna didn't see the girl score, because she had to duck her head when a Bludger zoomed over her head, barely missing her. She literally felt her hair move with how close the Bludger got to her.

Charlie was watching the match from his own broomstick at the side of the pitch, making sure to watch each player equally.

When the opposite team got the Quaffle, Anna followed her team after them as they tried to get the ball back. One of the Beaters on Anna's team hit a Bludger at the girl with the Quaffle. It crashed into the front of her broom, splintering the wood and knocking her off. Another Chaser on Anna's team nabbed the Quaffle out of the air when she dropped it and spun around to carry it back the other way.

They played until one team got 100 points, since they weren't playing with a Seeker. Anna's team won, though she only scored one goal herself. One player got sent to the hospital wing, and a stray Bludger nearly took out a group of people watching from the stands.

Charlie took a moment alone while the people who tried out sat on the grass of the Quidditch pitch, waiting to find out who made it on the team. While waiting, Anna sat a few feet from the rest of the Gryffindors. Her eyes traveled up to the stands and they easily zeroed in on the flash of bright orange-red. Charlie's younger brothers, Fred and George, were sitting with another first year boy in their house, Lee Jordan.

Anna had noticed the first couple weeks of school that they all seemed to enjoy pulling pranks and joking around. Just a few days ago they'd pranked a bunch of the Slytherins by replacing the bowl of baked beans at their dinner table with a bunch of different brown-colored Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean. Some of the flavors she'd heard mentioned included dirt, liver, dog food, and curry.

Anna turned back ahead when Charlie finally approached them with a piece of parchment.

As he'd stated before, the position of Seeker, as well as Captain, was Charlie's position. The position as Keeper went to Oliver Wood, a third year who'd apparently had the position the year before. Anna didn't recognize either of the Beaters, they were both seventh year boys. And to her disappointment, she didn't get the position of Chaser. It went to a boy and a couple girls, all at least in their fifth year and older.

Anna looked down as she stood up and started walking toward the locker room to change back into her school robes.

"Hey, Black!"

Anna paused and looked worriedly over her shoulder. One of the girls who'd made the team, the same girl Anna had passed the Quaffle to early on in the game, caught up to her and looked down at her.

"You're not that bad." the older girl commented casually. "You should try out again next year." she grinned before continuing past Anna toward the locker room.

Anna stayed standing there, in shock for a moment, before she continued after the other girls. When she neared the stands, she saw the Weasley twins and Lee waiting on the grass at the bottom of the stands.

One of the twins sort of glared at her, while the other twin seemed to be avoiding looking at her at all costs.

"Hey, Charlie!" the angrier twin called to his brother, who appeared to be walking somewhere behind Anna. She tried not to listen in as she continued walking, but he wasn't exactly being quiet. "Why'd she try out? I thought you said first years weren't allowed. If George and I had known, we would've tried out and probably made the team!" he complained.

"A first year hasn't been on the team in decades because it's too dangerous, and they don't try out because most of them don't even have the skill at 11 years old."

"And she does?" the same twin argued.

"You were watching try outs this whole time, did you not see her play?" Charlie answered, almost sounding on the verge of getting angry, though he maintained his patience. "There wasn't a guarantee of her getting on the team, but she's definitely got the skills to do it, if not this year, then next year. You need to stop treating her like crap just because of her last name."

Anna didn't hear what they responded with, because she ducked her head and hurried for the locker room.

XXX

In Transfiguration a few days later, Anna reached into her book bag to find her quill and ink jar. Her hand found and closed around something that felt smooth and strange. Brows furrowed in confusion, she pulled it from her bag to see what it was, only to gasp and drop the large, black snake on the ground. It hissed and slithered, glaring up at her with beady, black eyes.

A few other students gasped and shrieked until Professor McGonagall showed up and vanished it. She glanced down at Anna once before turning back to the front of her the class to start the lesson. Anna stayed as she was, her body trembling as her eyes stayed fixed on the spot the snake had been just seconds before. Two identical sets of laughter finally drew her eyes to a few tables over, where the Weasley twins were looking at her and laughing.

"Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley, you may want to know that Gryffindor has just lost twenty points for the stunt you just pulled." McGonagall announced, her back to the class as she continued writing down notes for the lesson.

"What?!" the twins shouted in unison.

"What makes you think _we_ did it?" one of them added.

"You aren't exactly doing anything to hide it." McGonagall answered.

The twins grumbled under their breath before they looked at each other and then smirked proudly.

XXX

Later that evening, Anna was once again eating dinner on the far side of the table, alone.

"You look rather depressed." Charlie noted as he sat down across from her, waving at one of his fellow prefects before starting to pile his plate full.

"You know, you don't have to keep hanging out with me. You have no need to, anymore, since I didn't make the Quidditch team."

"That's not why I hung out with you in the first place." Charlie pointed out. "Anyway, what's wrong?"

Anna glanced down the table at where most of her fellow first years were sitting together, her fork playing with her food. "Why are you so nice, but your brothers are so mean?"

Charlie followed her eyes and sighed when they landed on Fred and George. "What'd they do now?"

"I found a giant, living snake in my bag in Transfiguration class, and they made it clear they did it." Anna answered.

Charlie sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, they can sometimes take their pranks a bit too far. Usually, they're pretty loyal and protective. I mean, they pick on our younger brother, Ron, all the time. But if someone else was actually bullying him, Fred and George would prank the person into an early grave."

The corner of Anna's mouth twitched up.

"Actually, if it makes you feel any better they pulled a similar stunt on Ron when he was only three." When Anna's eyes went wide with clear shock and curiosity, Charlie proceeded to tell the story. "Okay, when Ron was three, and the twins were five, Ron broke Fred's toy broomstick. Obviously, Fred didn't take it well. So, he transformed Ron's teddy bear into a giant spider." Anna lifted a hand to her mouth in shock. "To this day, Ron has a serious case of arachnophobia, a fear of spiders."

"I can imagine." Anna chuckled. "How many siblings do you have, again?"

"Six. Bill's the oldest, then there's me, then Percy, Fred and George, Ron, and finally our only sister Ginny."

"Wow. Only girl and the youngest, what does she think of that?"

"She doesn't mind it unless we get overprotective." Charlie grinned. "What about you? Got any brothers or sisters?"

Anna glanced down at her food. "No. It's just me and my mum."

"Does that ever get lonely?" Charlie asked curiously.

"A bit. Mum works a lot so there are times when I'm home alone all day. But she doesn't work weekends often, so we spend a lot of time together then."

"You think she's lonely with you here?"

Anna shrugged. "Maybe a bit. She didn't really want me to come here, kept trying to talk me out of it."

"Why?"

Anna looked down at her food thoughtfully. "I don't know."


	5. Meeting Hagrid

Annabelle sat in her usual seat in the Potions classroom, listening to Professor Snape tell them the page number to turn to in their book, which held the instructions for their potion. It would be their first actual Potion of the year, the Cure for Boils.

Once Snape set them to start, Anna placed her cauldron on the table and lit underneath it so it could start heating up. Glancing over the ingredients list in her textbook, Anna followed the other students to the storage closet to grab the necessary ingredients.

Following the textbook's instructions, Anna started by crushing 6 snake fangs into a fine powder using the mortar and pestle. She added the measured amount to her cauldron and heated it for ten seconds. She then waved her wand over the cauldron the way the book instructed, and then had to leave it to brew for 33-45 minutes.

With nothing much to do while she waited, Anna read through the recipe to make sure she understood everything, making a few notes to remember certain instructions. The rest of the class messed around with their friends while waiting with their own potions. At one point, someone threw a balled up piece of parchment at the back of Anna's head, but she ignored it.

When about 40 minutes had passed, Anna moved onto the next step and added 4 horned slugs to her cauldron. She then took the cauldron off the fire before adding two porcupine quills to her cauldron. She then stirred her potion clockwise five times. Finally, she finished her potion by waving her wand as instructed. The completed potion was blue with pink smoke floating from the cauldron, just as it was supposed to if done correctly.

Anna had just allowed a proud smile to split her face when a horrid odor reached her nose. Disgusted, Anna lifted her hand to plug her nose, turning to look toward the front of the room. Other students were reacting the same way, a few _over_ reacting, in her opinion. Near the front of the room, one student had leapt away from his cauldron when it melted and spilled the potion over the table and onto the floor.

"You blundering idiot!" Snape shouted, swiftly approaching the Slytherin student. Most of the Gryffindor students were grinning behind their hands because Snape rarely yelled at his _precious_ Slytherins. "You were supposed to take the cauldron _off the fire_ before adding the porcupine quills!"

Snape went on a bit of a rampage, but Anna wasn't paying attention to that. She was staring at the student's arm and hand. It looked like the potion had spilled onto his hand and was leaving vicious-looking boils on the skin. Considering this potion was the 'Cure for Boils', Anna found it interesting that one mistake could cause the exact opposite to occur.

Making a note to remember what the boy did wrong to cause that reaction, Anna hid her smirk before turning back to her potion and pouring it into her vial to hand in.

XXX

The next day, on a bright, sunny Saturday, Charlie entered the hospital wing and quickly found the girl he was looking for. Annabelle Black was sitting up in one of the beds, a sad pout clear on her face from across the room.

"I figured I might find you here." Charlie commented, taking a seat in the chair next to her bed.

"Why? The rumor spread across all of Hogwarts already?" she asked grumpily.

"Yeah, pretty much." Charlie grimaced a bit as he admitted it. They were quiet for a moment as Charlie's eyes traveled to Anna's legs. They looked relatively normal, but he knew they didn't feel that way about an hour ago. "So,…Jelly Legs Jinx, eh?"

"Yeah. I hate your brothers." she grumbled.

As the story had spread across Hogwarts, Fred or George, or both, Anna wasn't sure, hit Annabelle with the Jelly Legs Jinx, causing her legs to collapse in the middle of the hallway and sending her crashing to the ground. It wasn't as bad as it could've been. Anna had been in the hospital wing at least twice before because some Slytherins hit her with curses or pushed her down the stairs, those ones were much more painful.

"I deeply apologize for the idiocy of my younger brothers." Charlie stated earnestly, "I'm pretty sure they were dropped on their heads as babies."

Anna's lips twitched and she gave him a small smile in thanks.

Charlie glanced around the room before asking. "So, are you supposed to stay in here all day, or over night…?" he trailed off curiously.

"Madam Pomfrey said I should be good to go in a little bit, she just wants to double-check my legs before I actually leave." Anna answered.

Charlie nodded before an idea popped into his head. "Do you know Hagrid?"

Anna eyed him in confusion. "Um,…no?"

"He was the really big guy that took you first years from the train to the boats."

"Oh! Yeah, I remember him. Why?"

"I was just about to head over to his hut this afternoon. Wanna come?" Charlie offered.

Anna looked concerned. "Um,…he's really big."

Charlie chuckled. "He's completely harmless, I swear. Well, unless you insult Dumbledore, he doesn't take that kindly. The reason he's so big is because he's half-Giant. His dad was a wizard and his mum was a Giant."

Anna looked bewildered. "How on earth did they manage that?"

Charlie took on a mildly disturbed expression. "I don't know, and I don't want to know."

Anna nodded slowly. "Okay,…so why are you going to his hut?"

"He's the Gamekeeper, so he takes care of a lot of animals. I like going down there in my spare time and helping him out with some of the animals. Of course, I don't get a lot of spare time nowadays." he admitted with a grim smile.

Anna looked at him thoughtfully. "Well, why would you want me to go? It sounds like something that should be between you and Hagrid. I wouldn't want to intrude."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't be intruding. And I've come to the conclusion that animals can have a way of boosting someone's confidence levels in ways other humans simply can't. They have a way of just knowing what kind of character a person is. I think you'd like it and it could benefit you."

Anna eyed him for a moment. "Why do you care so much? Seriously, you have to have more important things to worry about than some random first year that you hardly know."

Charlie shrugged. "Well, no one else in your year seems to be acting very nice to you, which I have spoken with my brothers about, by the way, they just didn't listen to me. And I'm guessing Hogwarts isn't nearly as great of an experience when you don't have any friends. So, what do you say? Wanna meet Hagrid and some amazing animals with me when you get out of here? He's got a dog and unicorns." he added in a tempting, sing-song voice at the end.

Anna smiled, more in amusement than anything. "I suppose it couldn't hurt."

"That's the spirit." Charlie beamed just as Madam Pomfrey arrived. She checked Annabelle's legs and deemed them back to normal. With instructions to take it easy, Anna followed Charlie from the hospital wing and out of the castle. They crossed the grounds toward a little hut near the woods. Anna followed a few steps behind Charlie as he approached the front door and knocked.

The door swung open and Anna instinctively stepped behind Charlie at the sight of the humungous man standing in the doorway.

"Charlie! I was wonderin' when yeh'd drop by!" he boomed.

"Yeah, I had a stop to make on the way." Charlie looked over his shoulder and looked amused at the fact that Anna was hiding behind him. He moved his arm behind her and gently pushed her out from behind him. "This is Annabelle. She's a first year Gryffindor. I figured I'd bring her along if that's alright."

"Ah, Annabelle! I 'aven't seen yeh since yeh were a little tyke!" Hagrid exclaimed joyfully.

Anna was taken aback. "You…you know me?" she asked in confusion.

"A'course! Yeh prob'ly don' remember that though. Durin' the war I spen' a lotta time with yer parents. Yeh were a righ' troubl'maker, yeh were. Runnin' 'round and makin' messes. An' pullin' on my beard!" Hagrid explained with a loud laugh.

Charlie snorted, looking down at Anna with amusement while her face turned bright red.

"Oh, um,…wow. Small world." she muttered awkwardly.

"How's yer mum doin' these days?" Hagrid asked curiously.

"She's good. Works a lot. Um, I can tell her you say hello in my next letter if you want?"

"That'd be great!" he beamed behind his bushy beard. "Now, I was jus' 'bout to go see the Hippogriffs. Yeh two wanna come?"

"Sure." Charlie answered easily. They stepped back and allowed Hagrid out of the hut. Anna took another step back in shock when a huge dog came barreling out after him and jumped up on her, his huge paws resting over her shoulders. She stumbled back under the weight and leaned her head back when the dog slobbered over her face with a tongue almost the size of her head.

Charlie laughed, but grabbed the dog's collar and tried dragging him off her. "Fang, get off. You're going to scare the poor girl away."

'Fang' dropped back down to all four paws while Anna used her sweater sleeve to wipe the drool off her face. "Yeck." she gagged.

"Sorry 'bout that. Fang likes new people." Hagrid called as they began following him again, the dog in question deciding to walk at Anna's side.

"So, what's a Hippogriff?" Anna asked, remembering what Hagrid had said before she was 'attacked'.

"They're animals with the head, front legs, and wings of a huge eagle, and the body, hind legs, and tail of a horse." Charlie answered, patting Fang's head as they walked. "Hogwarts has a small herd of them. I think there's nine of them if I remember correctly."

"Ah, gonna be ten by tomorrow night. Stormswift laid an egg this mornin'." Hagrid cut in. "That's wha' I was gonna go check out."

Anna's brow furrowed as she registered his words. "Wait, you mean the eggs hatch only a day after they're laid?"

"Yep. And the baby should be able to fly a little bit within a week after hatching." Charlie explained.

Soon, they found themselves at a large paddock with a herd of the animals Charlie had described. Most of the Hippogriffs were well over Anna's head in height, though she noticed one that was a pinkish roan color and only came up to the shoulders of the others.

At the sight of Hagrid, several of the Hippogriffs approached the paddock to visit the half-Giant. One even approached Charlie and nudged his shoulder. Anna stayed back, not knowing if it was safe for her since these animals didn't know her.

Hagrid shooed them all away from the gate so he could slip inside and make his way through them to the far corner, where a couple Hippogriffs were hovering around a small nest with a single egg. Anna, however, was watching Charlie petting the broad neck of a bronze-colored one.

Charlie asked Hagrid if he could come into the paddock, which Hagrid agreed to as long as he remembered how to approach them. So, Charlie opened the gate and slipped inside. A very large, black Hippogriff approached him, causing the others to back off. Anna tensed, but Charlie seemed completely calm. He merely bowed very low to the ground. It was several tense moments before the black Hippogriff bowed in return. Once this was done, Charlie held his hand out and made eye contact with the creature, but made no other move. The Hippogriff slowly approached Charlie and then ducked his head, allowing Charlie to scratch it's head. Anna didn't even realize she was smiling as she watched.

Finally, the black Hippogriff stepped back and approached Hagrid, who appeared to be tossing dead ferrets to the other members of the herd. Charlie turned to Anna with a calm smile.

"You wanna give it a try?" he offered.

Anna instantly stood up straight from where she'd been leaning her arms on the fence, stepping back a couple paces. "Um, n-no. No, that's fine. I'm good."

Charlie gave her a look. "Anna, I'll admit, some of these guys are rather picky, and they can be a bit dangerous, but…" he scanned the paddock before pointing at a Hippogriff with a gleaming chestnut coat. "that one, Fleetwing, is really friendly and gentle, as far as Hippogriffs go."

Anna eyed the beautiful animal, noticing that when she moved around the paddock, the sun would catch her chestnut coat and make it shine.

"Are you sure it's safe?" she asked uncertainly.

Charlie turned to where Hagrid was checking on the others. "Hey, Hagrid? Do you think it'd be okay if Annabelle came in here and met Fleetwing?"

"Fleetwing? O'course! She's a real sweetheart." Hagrid answered easily.

So, Charlie opened the paddock door a crack, allowing Anna to slip inside the pen. She stayed with her back pressed to the fence as Charlie called Fleetwing over. The beautiful creature seemed to eye Anna cautiously as she approached.

"Alright, you watched what I did with the big one, right?" Charlie asked, to which Anna nodded. "You have to do the same thing. Hippogriffs are very proud creatures. You have to show them respect. So, you have to bow down as low as you can, and wait until it bows in return. Only then is it safe for you to approach them. You also have to maintain eye contact, and try not to blink. Just let them make the first move."

Anna nodded, trying not to panic as Fleetwing approached her. Taking a deep breath, Anna took a step forward so she wasn't against the fence before bowing low. Fleetwing moved to take a step forward, but a loud squawk stopped her and made her back away. Anna peaked up in confusion, only to see a slightly larger Hippogriff with gray feathers approaching her.

Anna tensed and considered standing up or backing away, but decided to stay frozen. This new Hippogriff held his head high with broad shoulders, and the way he was looking at her made her feel a bit scared.

Charlie was also tense from a few feet away. He took a step forward to try and put himself between Anna and the Hippogriff, but orange eyes landed on him and the animal screeched aggressively at him. Charlie held his hands up and ducked his head as he took a step back. It would be safer for Anna if he didn't anger the Hippogriff.

Hagrid also saw what was happening.

"Annabelle, jus' keep doin' what Charlie told yeh to do, an' yeh should be fine." he assured her, hoping he was right and not endangering the young girl.

Anna nodded slightly, trying not to tremble in fear as the animal continued approaching her. It came to a stop about two meters away from her. It tilted its head a couple times before taking another step toward her. Then, to Anna's shock and relief, he bowed his head low to the ground.

Anna sighed, her body relaxing a bit. She waited until the Hippogriff stood up straight before she slowly straightened her back, as well. She glanced at Charlie, who gave her a nod. Slowly, she took a step forward and lifted her hand into the air before forcing her eyes to meet the bright orange eyes of the Hippogriff.

It was very difficult to maintain eye contact like Charlie told her to, but she did it as the Hippogriff slowly began to approach her. His eyes didn't leave hers until his sharp, steel-colored beak was inches from her outstretched hand. Then, he ducked his head and stepped forward until Anna's fingers brushed his soft feathers.

A smile slowly spread over Anna's face as she carefully started petting his head. He stepped forward once more, tilting his head and forcing Anna's hand to move down to the side of his neck. Her fingers scratched through his feathers as he nudged his head into her chest. Anna laughed, lifting her other hand to scratch both sides of his head.

Charlie chuckled as he approached and patted the Hippogriff on the back. "Annabelle, meet Buckbeak."

Anna beamed. "This is _so cool._ " she whispered in amazement.

"Yeah, see? That wasn't so scary, was it?" Charlie teased.

Anna narrowed her eyes up at him, but couldn't help smiling. "It was bloody terrifying, actually. But this is still really cool."

XXX

Charlie and Annabelle hung out with Hagrid most of the afternoon. She got the chance to meet and sort of bond with nearly all the Hippogriffs, though Hagrid was hesitant to let her near the egg and its mother, since the herd was extremely protective of them. When the sun was beginning to sink, Hagrid announced he needed to get a few jobs done and that they should probably head back up to the castle before dark.

Anna said goodbye to Hagrid and Fang, who she had taken a liking to, and followed Charlie back up toward the castle.

"That was so much fun!" she exclaimed as they walked, giving a little bounce, which made Charlie laugh. "Can we go back again soon? Like tomorrow? To see the baby when it hatches?"

Charlie kept laughing, finally resting his hand on Anna's shoulder to make her stop bouncing. "Yes, we can go back, but we should probably wait until Monday. Hagrid said it's likely the egg won't hatch until tomorrow night. Plus, the herd might prefer it if you waited until it's a good day old or so."

Anna nodded. "Okay, good point."

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Anna quietly said, "Thanks. I really appreciate you doing that."

"Doing what?"

Anna thought for a moment before giving a shrug. "I don't know…everything? Being my friend, helping me with my flying, taking me down to meet Hagrid and the animals…everything."

Charlie grinned. "No problem."

After a bit of a walk, they reached the castle and headed toward the Great Hall where dinner would be served soon. As they were passing a room, which Anna thought might be Filch's office, there was a loud _boom_ and a horrid smell wafted from the room. Anna and Charlie glanced at each other just as Fred and George came running from the room, one of them holding a bit of old parchment in his hand, and Filch came blundering out after them, screaming profanities.

Anna plugged her nose at the smell, turning wide eyes to Charlie. He merely looked down at her and shrugged.

"I'm not even going to bother."

 **XXX**

 **Tada! Anna met Hagrid, Fang, and BUCKBEAK! Yay!**

 **Also, anyone care to guess what the twins just stole from Filch? ; )**


	6. Storm

Annabelle walked out of the stall of the girls' lavatory, putting her school bag on the ground so she could wash her hands. As she rinsed the soap from her hands, she looked up at her reflection. She paused and stared at it for a moment, her eyes scanning her features. After a moment, she focused on her hair and watched as it slowly changed from brown to blonde. Unfortunately, the transformation wasn't complete. The layer of hair at the bottom stayed black, as it always did. Except it looked very weird now, with the blonde on top and black underneath. The only times she could manage to make the black go away was if she put nearly all her focus into it, or was trying to be someone specific.

What she didn't see was a couple Slytherin girls enter the bathroom. They stopped and backtracked when they saw her, and watched as she changed her hair from blonde back to brown and finish washing her hands.

The two girls exchanged wide-eyed stares before leaving the bathroom and hurrying away.

XXX

A couple hours later, Anna was sitting at the dinner table, writing some notes down in her notebook. When finished, she put it away and started dishing her dinner. Charlie sat next to her, a couple of his fifth year friends hesitantly sitting with him, eyeing her curiously as they did so.

As usual at meal times, the Great Hall was bustling and filled with noise. Chatter, laughter, the clink of silverware against plates, and the occasional boom of thunder from the enchanted roof above to match the storm outside. Anna was minding her own business, eating her food while Charlie and his friends talked about their homework assignments.

Suddenly, a pair of hands landed harshly on Anna's shoulders, making her jump. Before she had time to control her reaction, she literally _felt_ the color flow from her scalp to the tips of her hair for a second before returning to normal.

The Great Hall slowly fell silent, several eyes turning to stare at her. Whispers erupted from nearby, the explanation of what a few saw spread like a wave across the Hall to the far corners.

Anna sat frozen, her eyes slowly moving up to meet Charlie's blue eyes. They were wide in shock, his mouth hanging open, much like his friends around him. When Anna slowly looked around her, everyone else had the same expressions.

She could hear their voices echoing in her head, and suddenly she felt sick and dizzy. Her eyes started stinging, and she could feel her face growing so hot it made her feel lightheaded, and she knew it was turning dark red in embarrassment. After a few moments, she snapped. She stood up and flew from the Great Hall, out the doors and down the corridor.

She heard someone shout her name, but she just ran faster. Her shoes slapped against the floor, and she didn't know where to run. She wanted to leave. Her mum was right, maybe going to Hogwarts was a bad idea. All she wanted was to go home, back where she didn't have to watch her back and hear everyone whisper about her. Where she didn't have to be afraid and try to hide who she was from everyone.

Her feet carried her out the front door and into the pouring rain. Her hair was drenched and plastered to her face in seconds as she raced across the grass in the direction of the Quidditch field, heading straight for the broomshed. Once there, she threw the door open and rushed inside. She stood there for a moment, her legs trembling as she looked around the room. Finally, she slowly pealed her school robes from her body, dropping them on the ground of the shed. Then, she grabbed the broom she usually used off the wall and ran back out into the rain. Mounting the broom, she shot off into the air.

She wasn't sure which way home was, but she just started flying toward the ocean, the broom trembling beneath her. The wind, however, made that next to impossible. It shoved at her, the icy raindrops pelting her skin and stinging her flesh. She soon found herself flying over the Dark Forest.

Lightning flashed over her head, causing her to shriek and jerk down. The broom lurched down and sent Anna diving through the canopy of the trees and into the forest. She had to swerve a few times to avoid hitting all the tree trunks. A branch whipped her face, causing her to duck her head.

She swerved a few times, but then she lost control of her broom. It trembled and jerked to the left. Anna had just enough time to register the tree she was quickly approaching when she crashed into it head-on.

Her head flew forward and smacked the trunk and the broomstick splintered in her hands as she fell several feet to the ground, landing in a crumpled heap at the foot of the tree.

She laid there, the rain no longer pelting her with the trees offering some shelter, but she was still freezing cold and drenched. Her whole body was trembling as she tried to push herself up. Her arms shook and she dropped back to the ground, the broomstick jabbing at her ribs. She turned her head and rested her cheek on the cold, muddy ground, her hair draped over her face and covering most of her vision.

Anna couldn't hear much over the rain, and she wasn't sure how long she laid there. Then, the squelching sound of someone approaching her reached her pounding ears. Blinking her eyes open, the first thing hers eyes found was a pair of scaly feet with long talons stabbing into the muddy ground. Her eyes followed the long, bird-like legs until they found a large, gray hippogriff. Through her pounding headache, Anna thought he might be Buckbeak.

Blinking to try and make her suddenly blurry eyesight clear again, Anna forced herself up on her elbows and ducked her head to him. Through her curtain of drenched brown and black hair, she saw him return the gesture. Only then did she allow her weak arms to give out and fall face-first back into the mud.

Buckbeak tilted his head as he looked the girl over. He knew her from when she'd come around the herd before. She was kind and gentle, but now she was lying in the mud and rain, too weak to hold her head up.

Flapping his wings to shake off the rain, Buckbeak stepped forward and nudged his beak into Anna's shoulder. It dropped back limply. Lifting his head, the hippogriff looked around before looking back down at her. Turning himself, he carefully laid down in the mud next to her, folding one wing over her like a blanket to keep more rain from getting to her. He turned his bright orange eyes into the dark forest, keeping watch over his friend.

XXX

Charlie left the common room, running his hand through his hair in a stressed habit. He hurried toward his Head of House's office and entered to see Professor McGonagall grading papers at her desk. She looked up when she saw him.

"Mr. Weasley. Any luck?" she asked, setting her quill down.

"Nothing, Professor. She's not in her dormitory, the common room, and I couldn't find her in any of the classrooms I checked." he admitted, his shoulders slumped with defeat.

The Transfiguration Professor nodded, worry creasing her face. She stood and waved her wand, her cat Patronus leaving the room through the cracked doorway. "I've notified the Headmaster. We'll have to start a search of the castle. Gather as many of the staff and prefects as we can spare."

Charlie nodded. "I'll go get the other Gryffindor prefects." When he turned to open the door further, two redheads stumbled into the room. "Wha-What are you two doing out of the common room? It's nearly curfew!" Charlie scolded his younger brothers, looking from one identical face to the other.

"Is it true?"

"You haven't found her yet?" they asked worriedly.

Charlie's brows furrowed. "Since when do you two care? I thought you two hated her?"

They glanced at each other before looking down at the ground. "We didn't hate her." they argued meekly.

"Everyone picked on her, so we just…pranked her a few times." Fred shrugged.

"But we didn't hate her. It was for a laugh." George added.

"There's a difference between laughing at someone and laughing with someone. Pulling a prank or joke that hurts someone isn't okay, guys. And now we can't find her." Charlie explained to them.

"Mr. Weasley," McGonagall came up behind him, "perhaps you should take your brothers back to the common room while getting the other prefects for the search. But I must go and gather the staff."

"Of course, Professor." Charlie nodded before ushering his younger brothers down the corridor.

"But we want to help!" the twins argued in unison. "We could help you find her!"

"Not now, guys. If you want to start making up for everything, you can wait until after we find her." Charlie argued quietly.

"But, no wait!" Fred turned around and held his hands up, taking a few steps backward before he stopped, making his brothers do the same. He glanced at George before choosing his words carefully. "What if…well, we don't think she's in the castle."

Charlie eyed them curiously, knowing they were hiding something. "How would you know?"

"Well, you said yourself you'd looked everywhere and couldn't find her." George pointed out.

Before Charlie could point out that he doubted he'd looked everywhere, Fred swept on, "You seem to know her the best out of everyone here. Is there anywhere outside the castle she might've gone?"

Charlie thought for a moment before it hit him. He snapped his fingers. "The Quidditch pitch."

He quickly ushered the twins back to the common room and called out for the prefects to find McGonagall to get information about the search before racing out of the castle and toward the broomshed by the Quidditch pitch. The rain had let up a bit since dinner. He quickly rounded the corner of the shed, and paused at the sight of the door flapping in the breeze, hitting the wall of the shed.

He entered the shed and his eyes were drawn instantly to the school robes lying on the ground. He picked it up, finding it soaking wet, before his eyes scanned the walls. Once again they found the empty space between two brooms, where one had been taken. Spinning on his foot, Charlie rushed outside and scanned the sky, but he had a gut feeling he wouldn't find anything.

He ran back toward the castle and found a few teachers searching the courtyard, McGonagall among them.

"Professor McGonagall!" he shouted, getting their attention before he came to a stop by them. "I found this in the broomshed. I couldn't find her after that." he explained, holding the robes out to her. "I also noticed a broom was missing."

McGonagall took a deep breath as she held the robes in her hands. "Pomona, tell Albus about this. It just became much more serious."

"Professor?" Charlie asked, "Anna liked visiting the animals at Hagrid's with me. Could I go check there?"

She thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Yes. I'll go with you. Everyone else, continue as you were." She handed Professor Sprout the school robes before following Charlie in the direction of Hagrid's hut.

XXX

Buckbeak tilted his head and peaked under his wing at the girl. She was still cold and shivering, but she seemed a bit better than before. Lifting his head, Buckbeak scanned the dark forest once again. He knew she needed human help, and the only person he trusted to get her that help was Hagrid.

Looking down at the small girl once more, Buckbeak stood up and sprinted through the trees toward Hagrid's.

When he left the forest, he saw the small hut. Hagrid was standing in the open doorway talking to two people standing just outside. Buckbeak let out a loud screech, gaining their attention.

Charlie and McGonagall turned and saw the large hippogriff trotting toward them. He then stopped and looked at them. He danced lightly on his feet, trotting back the way he came a few paces before looking back over his shoulder at them. He opened his sharp beak and squawked loudly at them.

Charlie watched Buckbeak's behavior before turning to look back at Hagrid.

"I may be stretchin' it, but do you think he wants us to follow him?" Charlie questioned.

Hagrid watched for a moment before answering "I think it's worth tryin'."

McGonagall looked uncertain, but followed the two after the hippogriff. Hagrid was carrying his crossbow as they followed Buckbeak into the Dark Forest, Fang walking at the half-giant's side.

After walking for several minutes in the dark, creepy woods, McGonagall decided it was a waste of time, "Hagrid, I really think-"

"Wait!" Charlie froze before quickly stepping forward to stand at Hagrid's side. "There!" He pointed to the base of a tree where a dark figure was slumped over. Buckbeak came to stop by the tree, leaning down to nudge his beak into the figure. He stood up straight and looked back at the other three, his glowing orange eyes searching between them.

Finally, Charlie decided to take the risk of approaching. Buckbeak stepped back and allowed the prefect to approach and Charlie fell to his knees. He rolled the figure over gently and revealed Anna's face. Her lips were blue and her skin was icy, her wet, muddy hair sticking to her equally-muddy cheeks.

"It's her!" he shouted over his shoulder. "It's Annabelle!"

Hagrid and McGonagall quickly approached and Hagrid gently drew her into his arms, handing Charlie his crossbow. Charlie also pointed out the broken broom that had been underneath Anna's body.

"We need to get her to the hospital wing. She very well could've been out here since she left nearly two hours ago." McGonagall worried as they stood up and began to leave the forest. They paid no mind to Buckbeak, who followed closely behind them.

As soon as they left the forest, McGonagall sent her Patronus to inform Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey that the girl had been found. They quickly made their way through the castle corridors and entered the hospital wing, McGonagall throwing the door open so Hagrid could enter easily with the girl still in his arms.

Madame Pomfrey hurried from her office in the back, fully prepared to treat her newest patient. She paused, however, when she saw _all_ her guests.

"Goodness gracious! What-Hagrid, what is that _thing_ doing in my hospital wing?!" she demanded.

Confused, Hagrid looked over his shoulder, "What-Oh! Buckbeak, you bloody bird! Get outside!"

Buckbeak huffed, eyeing the half-giant rebelliously as he made a few pointed steps closer and moving his eyes to the girl in Hagrid's arms.

"He just wants to keep an eye on Anna, Madam Pomfrey. Surely you can make an exception?" Charlie asked hopefully, placing Hagrid's crossbow against the wall as Hagrid carefully laid Annabelle down on a bed. Dumbledore and a few other teachers arrived a few moments later.

"Well,…fine, but only for a bit, and if he causes any strife, he's out." she gave in, rushing to Anna's bedside and waving her wand over the girl. "Hm…" She pointed her wand at the small cut and bump on Anna's forehead and muttered, "Tergeo." The drying blood was sucked from the wound and into the tip of Pomfrey's wand. She repeated the incantation as she hovered her wand over Anna's body, causing the water drenching her clothes to be siphoned into her wand like the blood, leaving Anna's clothes dry.

Pomfrey returned her wand to the cut and bump on Anna's forehead and muttered "Episkey," causing the cut to mend itself and the bump to shrink.

"That's all I can do for her now." Pomfrey admitted as she straightened up. "I'll just have to get her some extra blankets for the night to keep her warm." and she turned to do just that, going to get blankets from her office.

"What's her punishment going to be, Albus?" Snape asked, almost sounding excited.

"What?! But she didn't do anything wrong!" Charlie argued.

"She went out after curfew, stole and destroyed Hogwarts property, and went into the Dark Forest, which is strictly forbidden." Snape sneered.

Charlie gritted his teeth and turned away to pat the side of Buckbeak's neck, not wanting to say something he'd regret later on.

"Now, now, Severus, that is something we shall discuss when Ms. Black is awake and well." Dumbledore decided, wanting to placate his friend.

Their conversation was interrupted by the hospital wing doors flying open and slamming loudly into the wall.

Buckbeak screeched fiercely, rearing up and clawing the air at the intrusion. Fred and George instantly stepped back, not expecting the terrifying animal to be there as well.

Hagrid rushed to calm Buckbeak down and assure him that the twins were no threat to Annabelle, while Charlie walked around a few beds to reach his brothers.

"What in Merlin's name are the two of you doing here?" he demanded.

"We heard you found her-"

"-and what the bloody hell is that thing?!" the twins exclaimed one after the other, their voices blending so that the two separate phrases sounded as if they came from the same person.

"That is a hippogriff, and how did you find out? We haven't had the time to tell anyone." Charlie asked.

The twins exchanged a glance before answering together, "A prefect."

Charlie narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but before he could interrogate them, Snape spoke up.

"Well, well, two more young Gryffindors out past curfew? I think ten points each from Gryffindor sounds like a fair punishment, wouldn't you Minerva?"

"Honestly, Severus." McGonagall bristled. "A girl has nearly died and you're taking away House points?! I know you hate my House, but blaming this girl for things that happened to you when you were a student-"

"That has nothing to with this!" Snape hissed. "Her injuries are her own fault, flying into the Forbidden Forest during a storm. She should be expelled for this!"

" _Your_ students bullied her into this!"

"As if your students treated her any better?"

"Enough." Dumbledore's voice was both quiet and powerful as he stood between his two teachers. "This is not the time for fighting amongst ourselves. Ms. Black won't be awake for a while, we should leave her to rest for the night. I will visit her in the morning. Come." he suggested, gesturing for everyone to leave.

Fred and George looked worriedly at the pale, small-looking girl in the hospital bed. "But-"

"Guys, come on, she's in good hands. If you want, we can come see her sometime tomorrow." Charlie suggested, moving to usher his brothers from the hospital wing while Hagrid practically had to drag Buckbeak from the castle. The hippogriff clearly didn't want to leave Annabelle alone.

"Really?" George checked.

"I promise we'll come visit her at some point tomorrow." Charlie swore as he lead his brothers from the hospital wing and down the corridor toward their common room. "But don't be surprised if she doesn't want to see either of you. She isn't exactly fond of you."

Fred and George walked down the corridor, looking down in shame.


	7. Beautiful Friendship

Annabelle awoke feeling cold and shivering. She tried to bury herself down into whatever was covering her, which helped a little bit. She could hear murmuring voices and things moving around. Curiosity got the better of her, and she peaked her eyes open to look around.

She recognized the hospital wing from her last trip here. Across the room, Madam Pomfrey was giving some potion to an older Ravenclaw student. A warm quilt was pulled up over Anna's nose, so she shifted and moved her face from under the blanket. As she did this, Pomfrey turned away from the other student and her eyes landed on the young girl.

"Ah, Ms. Black. Good to see you awake." the matron greeted her, passing her bed and hurrying into her office. She returned a moment later with a vial of a Potion. "Here you are, drink this."

"What happened?" Anna asked, pushing herself into a sitting position in the bed.

"It seems you ran out into the storm during dinner last night, stole a broom, and flew into the Dark Forest." Madam Pomfrey answered with a scolding look at the girl as she pushed the potion into the girl's hand.

Anna hesitantly eyed the potion before closing her eyes and throwing the liquid back into her throat. She swallowed with a grimace, but was relieved when the potion chased the chill from her body. Her eyes went wide, however, when steam burst from her ears. Madam Pomfrey didn't seem affected by this, however, so Anna figured it was a normal side effect of whatever potion she just took.

"Now, you've had a rough night, so I want you to stay here for at least the day. I may have you stay the night, we'll see how you are. Professor Dumbledore has been informed that you're awake and will be down to see you shortly."

Anna felt dread fill her as the matron walked away. Dumbledore was coming to see her? Surely she'd be expelled. Though, she did want to leave, maybe it was for the best. Though her mother would be furious with her for getting herself kicked out of Hogwarts. From all the stories she'd heard from her mum about what her dad used to do as a student, it would take something horribly awful to get kicked out of Hogwarts.

A few minutes later, the doors opened and an old wizard with a long, white beard and blue robes entered the room. Anna instantly recognized him as the famous Headmaster and looked down at her lap in shame.

"Ah, Ms. Black. Wonderful to see you awake." a kind voice greeted her as a chair was pulled up at her bedside.

Anna nodded silently, keeping her eyes fixed on her hands in her lap.

"Now, why don't you tell me what all transpired last night?" Dumbledore asked casually, folding his hands together.

Anna swallowed. "Um,…well, I got surprised and I…felt my hair change."

"Ah, yes. Your Metamorphic abilities. Truly amazing." Dumbledore put in with a smile.

Anna paused, thrown off by the interruption, before she continued, "Yeah. And everyone went quiet and stared at me, and then I could hear them whisper about me. And I just…I couldn't take it. So, I ran and I kept running and I didn't even think about it, but then I ended up at the broomshed. I grabbed a broom and flew away, but the wind and the storm pushed me into the Dark Forest. I lost control of the broom and crashed into a tree…I don't remember anything else, Sir."

"Hmm. Well, after you ran off most of the staff and some prefects searched for you. It was Mr. Weasley that did most of the work, to be honest. He figured out you'd taken a broom from the broomshed and then he and Professor McGonagall went to Hagrid's hut to see if he'd seen you."

"How was I found?" Anna found herself asking curiously.

Dumbledore smiled in amusement behind his beard. "It seems you found a rather loyal and protective friend in Buckbeak the hippogriff."

Anna suddenly remembered after she'd crashed, when Buckbeak had approached her. But all she really remembered was him being there.

"When Mr. Weasley and Professor McGonagall were at Hagrid's, Buckbeak came and...insisted on them following him into the Dark Forest. And he lead them right to you. They brought you here to the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey tended to your injuries."

Anna swallowed. "Am I in trouble?" she asked quietly, trying to hide the shaking in her voice.

Dumbledore sighed then. "Well, unfortunately you did break a few school rules, Ms. Black. Professor Snape insists you should be expelled. However, I get the feeling your classmates have been punishing you enough this year. So, instead you will have detention with Professor McGonagall at 7:00 every evening for the next two weeks starting tomorrow. And I will be writing to your mother to inform her of this incident."

Anna closed her eyes, unable to swallow past the lump in her throat.

"Now, you rest and focus on getting better, Annabelle. I hope to see you out and about tomorrow." Dumbledore patted Anna's hand with his own before leaving the hospital wing.

When Madam Pomfrey walked by her bed next, Anna raised a hand. "Um, Madam Pomfrey? When you get a moment,…could I have a quill and parchment, please? I'd like to write a letter."

When the matron got a spare moment she gave Anna a quill, parchment, and a hardcover book so that she had something solid to write on.

' _Mum,_

 _I'm sure by the time you get this letter, you'll have already heard from Dumbledore what I've done. I'm so sorry I messed up. Hogwarts hasn't exactly been everything I hoped it would be. You were right, people have been treating me differently ever since they heard my last name. The Slytherins treat me like I'm the dirt under their shoes and everyone else treats me like I'm the next Death Eater in training. Pretty much only one person has actually been nice to me this whole time, but he's a Gryffindor prefect. He probably just feels obligated to help me._

 _Anyway, what I'm getting at is that I want to come home. You were right all this time. I should've stayed home and had you home school me. So, if you could, I'd like to come home, please?_

 _Anna'_

Anna read over the letter a few more times before signing her name, unsure if she should add anything else. Just as she put the quill back into the inkwell, the hospital wing door creaked open. She paid it no mind, since people had been coming and going all morning. However, when the footsteps seemed to be approaching her part of the wing, she looked up.

She instantly went tense at the sight of Charlie Weasley and his two younger brothers, Fred and George.

"Morning, Anna. Feeling better?" Charlie asked gently when they reached her bedside.

She glanced suspiciously at the twins before looking back up at Charlie and nodding hesitantly.

Charlie looked down at his brothers and nudged one with his elbow. "These two have something to say." Normally, that phrase would sound more like an order, telling the two to say something. But for once, it actually sounded like he was implying the twins wanted to do it themselves.

Fred and George stepped forward so they were at their older brother's side and looked sheepishly at her from under their eyelashes.

"We're very sorry for what we've done to you all year." they said in unison.

Anna's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"It's just…" one of the twins spoke alone this time, "we've always liked pulling pranks and making people laugh, and…whenever we pranked you a lot of people laughed-"

"Which is no excuse." the other twin cut in quickly.

"Right. But anyway, we didn't really think about how it would make you feel. And then…"

"When you ran off into the storm last night…we were actually scared."

"We were afraid you'd get hurt or something. And that it would partially be our fault. Maybe, if we'd just been nicer to you, you wouldn't have run off."

"Or you could've talked to us or felt safe with us."

"So, basically, what we're trying to say is,"

"We're really sorry for being such prats to you." they finally ended, once again in unison.

Anna looked back and forth between the two for a moment. "Did you two rehearse that or something?"

The twins grinned while Charlie laughed. "No, they just share a mind. That's how they do the whole twin-speak thing." he joked, making Anna smile and the twins laugh.

"So, do you think you'd like to be friends?" one of the twins asked quietly.

Anna stared at him in shock for a moment. "You want to be friends with me?"

They nodded.

"Really?" she checked doubtfully.

"Yes!" they exclaimed.

Anna chewed on her lip for a moment. "I don't know." She watched as their shoulders slumped and their brown eyes dimmed. "You two were awfully mean to me. Even if I technically forgive you, I don't know if I can actually feel comfortable enough to trust you after all that."

"We understand." one of them answered quietly.

"What if…we told you about ourselves?" the other one suggested hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked.

The twins stepped forward and politely held out their hands for her to shake, which she did in turn. "I'm Fred,"

"and I'm George. We're two of seven siblings. Our mum stays home most days while our dad works in the Ministry, in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department. We love playing and watching Quidditch,"

"But mostly playing." Fred cut in. "We also love playing pranks on people, which you figured out." he added with a guilty grimace. "And we were sort of named after our uncles Fabian and Gideon Prewett; those are our middle names."

"Our family's pureblood, but most consider us bloodtraitors. And everyone in our family has so far been sorted into Gryffindor."

"We live in our house, which we call the Burrow, just outside of Ottery St Catchpole in Devon, England."

"Our oldest brother, Bill, graduated from Hogwarts just a few months ago and now works as a Curse Breaker for Gringotts in Egypt."

"You clearly know Charlie." Fred pointed out with a gesture to his older brother standing behind him.

"Percy's a prat, and he has a pet rat named Scabbers."

"I'm older than George by four minutes."

"Three and a half. And I'm smarter than Fred by about four _years_."

Anna fought off a smile when Fred smacked George upside the head.

"Our younger brother Ron will be coming to Hogwarts in a couple years, and he has a fear of spiders because of us."

"And lastly, our baby sister Ginny will be joining us the year after. And her full name's Ginevra, which she hates."

Anna blinked a few times, looking back and forth between them for a moment. "Wow. You weren't kidding about telling me about yourselves."

Fred shrugged in what looked like an overly modest way. "Yeah, well, it's the least we could do."

Anna nodded slowly, taking a deep breath through her nose. Finally gathering some courage, she also started to speak.

"My name's Annabelle, but my mum usually calls me Anna since my name can be a mouthful. Um,…I'm an only child and I live alone with my mum, who's usually at work in the Ministry."

"That sounds awful lonely." Fred cut in as he, George, and Charlie sat in chairs the older brother summoned.

Anna nodded a bit. "It can be, that's why I was looking forward to coming here so much. But my mum tried talking me out of it all summer. Um,…" she tried to think of something, "I'm a halfblood. My grandad on my mum's side is a muggle, and my grandma is a halfblood. My mum has an older sister, and both of them were in Ravenclaw when they were here. My aunt married and has two kids, one of them is five years old, the other just turned two. I see my mum's side of the family about once a year, but I have no contact with my dad's side because he was disowned from the Black family when he was a teenager."

She paused and tried to think of something else to say, as well as give the three Weasleys some time to process her little family history lesson.

"Well,…obviously I'm a Metamorphmagus, as the whole bloody school saw last night." she muttered the last bit.

"About that, how does that work?" George asked curiously, "I've been hearing people talk about that, but what exactly _is_ a Metamorphmagus?"

"It's…it's very rare, but basically I was born with the ability to change my appearance at will. It took a lot of practice and I'm still not entirely in control of it, and it's likely that strong surges of emotion will always affect it."

"So, you can change anything?" Fred asked excitedly. "Can you show us something? Pretty please?"

"Please, please, _please_?" George added, clasping his hands together.

"If you're not comfortable with it, you don't have to." Charlie put in with a pointed look to his brothers, who pouted.

Anna chewed her lip nervously before glancing at the twins' hair. She sighed, closed her eyes, and focused on her hair. She could feel the color changing and didn't need to see it to know she'd succeeded. The twins' 'ooh's told her plenty.

"That's brilliant!" Fred exclaimed when Anna opened her eyes again. She'd changed her hair to a bright ginger to match theirs.

"What else can you do?" George asked.

"I can change pretty much anything. Hair, eyes, nose, skin, height, weight, gender…"

"You could be a boy?" Fred asked, looking flabbergasted and amazed.

"Well,…I could look like one, but naturally I'm a girl, so I couldn't just, like, live my life out as a boy."

"Can you do something else?" George asked again.

Anna sighed, though she was slightly pleased and amused. She'd never really had the chance to practice her abilities with anyone besides her mum, and it was surprisingly fun. Closing her eyes, she decided to give herself dark freckles. As soon as the twins laughed, she let them fade away again. Then, wanting to mess with them a bit, she focused on her eyes and when she felt the color change, she opened them and looked at the twins.

They both lurched back with wide eyes and mouths agape, looking freaked out by the fact that she now had bright red eyes. Then, their lips turned into huge, excited grins.

"That's bloody brilliant!" they laughed.

Anna also laughed, allowing her eyes to change back to the natural gray color.

"Why did you want to keep this a secret?" Fred asked in disbelief. "It's amazing!"

Anna's smile slipped a little bit. "Well,…my mum always said it'd be safer for me to keep it as secret as I could."

"But why?" George asked.

"Well,…I can change my appearance to be anyone I want. I could change my appearance to be a specific person if I wanted, which I don't. But when I was born, back during the first war, my parents were always worried about someone, like a Death Eater, using my powers for something evil."

"But how would they do that?" Fred asked doubtfully. "They're _your_ powers. Someone else can't just use them."

"Have you heard of the Imperius Curse?" Anna asked.

Fred and George shook their heads while Charlie answered, "I've learned about them in Defense class. It's one of the Unforgivable Curses. It would force you to do the bidding of whoever cast the curse on you."

"They could make you do anything they wanted?" Fred and George asked in shock.

"Anything." Anna added with a nod, "The thing my mum's scared of is if someone were to use the Imperius Curse on me to pretend to be someone else. Like if someone murdered a high-ranking Ministry Official and then made me impersonate that person, they could make me do anything they wanted, as that other person."

"Huh." the twins huffed. "Weird."

"So, you could actually look like a real person? An actual person? Anyone at all?" Fred checked.

"Yes." Anna answered slowly, unsure where he was going.

Fred and George exchanged matching, mischievous grins. "Become us." they exclaimed excitedly.

Anna rolled her eyes as Charlie chuckled. "Fine, but this is the last one." she answered. She fixed her eyes on the nearest twin, tracing his features with great focus and focusing on changing her own features to match them.

Charlie watched in awe as Annabelle's features transformed. Her cheeks sharpened a bit, her chin narrowed, lips thinned, nose sharpened, eyes narrowed and turned brown, brows thickened a little, and lastly her hair changed from long and dark brown to short and light ginger.

Fred and George applauded loudly when they looked at who appeared to be their long-lost triplet. Annabelle, who now looked exactly like the twins, laughed in amusement.

"Now, if you two are going to be making so much noise," Madam Pomfrey approached, looking ready to scold the twins, however she cut off and did a double take when she saw Anna. She looked between the twins and her patient before sighing. "Ms. Black, you really should be resting. I'm sure your abilities are a source of great amusement, but you need to rest to get better."

"I'm sorry, Madam Pomfrey." Anna apologized as she allowed her features to shift back to her normal appearance.

The matron turned back to the three Weasleys. "Shouldn't you lot be at breakfast?"

"We already ate, Madam Pomfrey." Charlie answered.

"We were going to visit before breakfast, but Anna was talking to Dumbledore." George added helpfully.

Pomfrey huffed and walked away to tend to other patients.

"Which reminds us, what was Dumbledore talking with you about?" Fred asked, turning back to Anna.

"That should be fairly obvious." Anna pointed out. "We were discussing my punishment."

"And what'd you get?" Charlie asked in concern.

"Snape apparently wanted to expel me-"

"What?!" the twins shouted.

" _but_ Dumbledore figured I've been punished enough by my classmates this year. Instead, I've got two weeks worth of detention with McGonagall."

"That won't be so bad. From what I saw last night, McGonagall seems to care about you." Charlie pointed out.

"Yeah." Anna nodded slowly, subconsciously looking down at the letter in her lap.

"What's that?" one of the twins asked, pointing at the letter.

"Nothing." she answered casually.

The twins looked at each other and shared a silent conversation before Fred snatched the letter from her hand.

"Hey! Give that back!" Anna demanded, leaning forward to try and grab it back. Charlie went to grab it, but Fred danced out of his reach while George intercepted his older brother.

Fred unfolded it and began to read it to himself.

"Give it back to her. You can't just read someone else's letter, Fred."

"I'm George." the twin with the letter mumbled, his eyes scanning the letter.

Charlie eyed him doubtfully. "You sure about that?"

"He wishes he was George." George grinned smugly.

"You want to leave?!" Fred exclaimed, looking up at Anna in shock.

"What?" George and Charlie asked, looking between Fred and Anna.

"She wrote this letter to her mum saying she wants to go home and be home schooled." Fred explained, his eyes not leaving Anna's face.

"What?" Charlie turned back to Anna, who was now looking down at her lap again. "Anna, are you sure you want to do that?"

"Of course I'm sure." she mumbled, "This place hasn't exactly been pleasant since I got here."

"Well,…yeah, but Fred and George just admitted they want to be friends with you now. And like I told you before, Hogwarts is a much more pleasant place if you've got friends. And the twins will have your back if anyone else messes with you."

Anna looked up at Charlie for a moment. "I don't know…" she mumbled.

"Alright, how about this?" Charlie started, "How about you at least stick it out for the year? If, after the year's up, you still don't want to stay here, then you can talk to your mum over the summer about being home schooled."

Anna chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Well,…" she glanced over at the twins, who were both looking at her with such desperately hopeful expressions she couldn't find it in her to believe they were faking it. Finally, she sighed. "Alright, I'll stay the year. _But,_ " she cut off before the twins could cheer, "if I still don't want to be here after that, then I'm not coming back next year."

"Alright, that sounds fair." Charlie agreed with a nod.

"Great! Now that's settled, we can discuss what we're going to do for revenge on all the gits who bullied you." Fred announced, crumpling Anna's letter in his hands.

"You realize you're in that group, right?" Charlie pointed out, raising an eyebrow at them.

"Details, details." George waved him off as he and Fred reclaimed their seats. "She can get back at us, too, if she wants."

"Now, for some of the Slytherins, how about-"

"Actually," Anna cut in hesitantly, "I already kinda had a few ideas to get back at them." she admitted.

Fred and George stared at her with wide eyes. "What?" they asked in shock. "Like what?"

"You know, like…I don't know, I guess the ideas I have may be considered pranks." Anna answered hesitantly.

"What kinds of ideas? What are you thinking?" they asked excitedly.

"And on that note, I'm gonna get going." Charlie announced, standing from his chair, "What with me being a prefect and all, I probably shouldn't know more than necessary about whatever revenge you're planning that's probably going to break several school rules. So, you guys have fun." he said with a wink to Anna before leaving the hospital wing.

"Okay, now spill. What're some of these plans?" Fred demanded, leaning forward in his chair.

"Well, I haven't actually planned out all the details or anything, but I've heard or learned some spells and things that I could easily use as a prank."

"Like?" George urged.

"Like…dungbombs, the Dancing Feet spell, the Levitation spell, the Tickling spell, the Cure for Boils-"

" _Cure_ for Boils? What kind of prank would that be?" Fred asked doubtfully.

Anna found herself smirking a little bit, which intrigued the twins. "You remember the day we made it in Potions class? That one Slytherin messed it up and it melted the cauldron, made the room stink?"

Fred and George chuckled. "Yeah, that was brilliant. Finally, Snape yelling at one of his _precious_ Slytherins." Fred reminisced.

"Well, I noticed that when the boy spilled a little bit of the potion on his hand, his skin erupted in boils." Anna explained.

"Huh." George sat back in his chair. "Bit ironic, since it's supposed to _cure_ boils."

"That's what I thought."

"So, if you're thinking what I think you're thinking," Fred started, "you want to recreate the mistake that guy made so we can maybe dump the potion on someone and they'll get boils."

"Yep."

"But we don't know what he did wrong." George pointed out.

"Yeah I do. He forgot to take the cauldron off the fire before adding the porcupine quills."

They nodded slowly. "Okay, but I think you're forgetting something." Fred pointed out.

"His cauldron _melted_ and the potion released a right nasty stench. What do you plan to do about that?" George asked.

Anna grimaced. "I've been looking into that. The best I can come up with is that I'd have to brew the potion in an abandoned bathroom. And I've been looking into the different kinds of vials, trying to find one that _might_ be able to hold the potion afterwards without melting. And maybe I could siphon the smell out of the air using a spell or something. It's all just guesswork right now, I'm not even sure I'll go through with that one."

"Well, you've definitely got the potential for some brilliant pranks, I'll give you that." George grinned.

Fred did the same. "You know, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

 **XXX**

 **Well, Anna and the twins are finally friends!**

 **Also, just a heads up, most of this story is going to be skimming through Anna's first, second, and third years, but I'm going to try not to make it boring. Of course, it's hard for the Weasley twins to be boring.**


	8. The Start of Revenge

Madam Pomfrey decided that Anna would be staying in the hospital wing until nightfall, so she'd be eating her dinner in her hospital bed because the matron felt having dinner in the loud, excitable Great Hall would do little to help Annabelle's improving health. The twins visited her once more during the day, but when Charlie returned for a visit she got a bit of a shock.

This was because Charlie entered the hospital wing with an older female student in Hufflepuff robes and with _bright pink_ hair.

"Hey Anna, feeling better?" Charlie asked with a grin.

Anna glanced curiously between him and his companion. "Yeah, I feel much better, but I have to stay here until after dinner."

"That sucks. Anyway, this is Tonks." Charlie introduced the pink-haired girl, "Tonks, this is Annabelle."

"Wotcher, Annabelle. Nice to finally meet you." Tonks stepped forward and offered a hand, which Anna took with a smile.

"You too. You can call me Anna, if you'd like. Annabelle can be a bit of a mouthful."

"That's alright, my name's the same. Tonks is actually my last name. My fool of a mother gave me the horrid name _Nymphadora_. So, I just prefer to go by Tonks."

Anna nodded in understanding. Nymphadora sounded like a cool name, but she'd probably think different if it was her own.

"If it isn't already obvious," Charlie put in, "I brought Tonks to meet you because she's a Metamorphmagus, too."

Anna's eyes went wide and her head snapped up to stare at Tonks in awe. "Really?" Of course, she'd figured that may be the case when she first saw the older girl, but looking at her clothing style, which was both hip and gothic-looking, the pink hair matched enough Anna thought she may have dyed it. "But,…I was told Metamorphmagi were extremely rare."

"Oh, we are." Tonks nodded, "My mum always told me that she only knew of two in our generation, in the whole wizarding world, and I'm assuming she was talking about you. That's another thing, you're a Black. So when I heard your name, _and_ that you were a Metamorphmagus, I'm starting to think it must be genetic."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked in confusion.

"Oh, right!" Tonks bopped herself in the head for forgetting, "We're related somehow. My mum, Andromeda, was a Black. She got disowned, though, 'cause she married my dad, who's a muggleborn. Haven't had any contact with my mum's insane family in my life."

"Same here." Anna said with a smile, "My dad was disowned when he was a teenager, something about him running away, and that he started dating my mum, who's a halfblood."

Charlie left the two to get acquainted, and Anna and Tonks talked for about an hour getting to know each other. They still weren't sure how they were related, but it was decided that they would each write to their mums and ask them if they knew. Tonks assumed they were cousins of sorts.

XXX

Anna walked down the dirt path toward Hagrid's hut alone, her school bag still strapped across her chest. She'd just finished her classes for the day, during which the twins had been sure to talk with her and include her, much to the confusion of their friends.

Hagrid was sitting in front of his hut, working on something with Fang laying at his side. When the huge boarhound looked up and saw her, he barked loudly, jumped to his feet, and raced toward her. Anna stopped walking and braced her feet as the dog jumped up and slammed his front paws on her chest. His tongue slobbered over her face, and she couldn't help laughing loudly as she tried to lean her face out of his reach.

"Fang! Got offa 'er yeh blasted dog!" Hagrid shouted, though he sounded mildly amused. Nonetheless, the huge dog dropped back onto all fours and followed Anna as she continued toward the half-giant.

"'ello Anna. Glad to see yeh seem ta be feelin' better." Hagrid greeted her happily.

"Yeah." Anna smiled sheepishly. "Thank you for helping with that, by the way. Dumbledore and Charlie told me everything. I'm very sorry for all the trouble I caused."

"Ah, think nothin' of it." Hagrid waved it off, "From what Charlie told me 'bout all the trouble yer classmates 'ave been givin' yeh, can't say I blame yeh."

Anna smiled. "Thanks. Anyway, I was hoping to see Buckbeak, if I could?"

"A'course yeh can!" Hagrid laughed, "He's been in a right mood since I dragged him from the castle the other night. I reckon a visit from yeh may just be wha' he needs."

Anna smiled as the half-giant stood and lead her in the direction of the hippogriff paddock. She could hear them stomping and squawking before the fence even came into view. When it finally did, she could see all the hippogriffs she recognized from her first visit just under a week prior, but to her delight there was also a small, chestnut colored one that was covered in more fluff than feathers.

"There he is." Hagrid pointed through the herd to the other side of the paddock. Sure enough, Buckbeak was laying on the ground by the fence, his chin resting on his crossed front legs.

Anna stepped up to the fence, glancing nervously at Hagrid. He gave her a reassuring nod, so she turned back to the herd and gave a sharp whistle. All the hippogriffs turned to look at her, but her eyes stayed fixed on Buckbeak.

The gray hippogriff lifted his head and turned to stare at her. Then, he leapt to his feet and galloped across the field, a few hippogriffs stepping out of his way so as not to get trampled. He slowed to a stop right at the fence and ducked his head, nudging her chest with his beak. Anna smiled widely, gently wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug.

She snuggled her face into the soft feathers on his neck, and whispered, "Thank you."

XXX

"Now?" George asked excitedly.

"Mm,…not yet." Anna whispered back, causing the twins to groan. The trio were hiding behind a small statue in the Dungeons corridor, only a few feet away from the entrance to the Slytherin common room, which was behind the stone wall. A couple third year girls had just entered, having finished dinner no doubt.

"We're going to run out of Slytherins, soon." Fred grumbled. "They're all going to be in their dormitories by the time we act."

"Oh, please." Anna scoffed, "Who'd be in their dormitory this early in the evening?"

"We don't know how Slytherins think." the twins chorused.

Anna rolled her eyes at them before she heard some footsteps echoing down the narrow staircase. Seeing a few more students enter the common room, she whispered, "Now."

With that, the trio chucked as many dungbombs as they could through the entrance before it closed. The eruption of screams and shouts of disgust reached their ears as they bolted up several flights of stairs and through the castle toward their own common room as fast as they could.

They panted the password to the Fat Lady and clambered through the portrait hole, practically falling to their knees and gasping for breath.

"And just what were the three of you up to?"

They turned their heads to see Charlie smirking down at them, his arms crossed over his chest.

The three first years exchanged glances before smirking.

"Nothing."

XXX

Anna sat lounging back on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, holding her Transfiguration textbook in both hands as she read the next chapter.

She glanced up as the twins rounded the couch, talking about the newest broom model that was released. She hid her smirk when she saw they were about to sit on the couch with her. The couch dipped as they sat down on the couch cushion next to the one she was sitting on.

"Hey, Anna, when do you think we're going to pull our next prank?" Fred asked with a smirk. It had been nearly a week since they pranked the Slytherins by chucking dungbombs into their common room. The whole House complained about it for days, and still no one had any idea who was behind it, though Charlie had made it clear he had his suspicions.

Anna smirked at the twins. "Well, we'll probably pull that one prank we talked about at the Halloween Feast, but…I actually just pulled a prank a little bit ago."

"What?" they both demanded, "You pulled a prank without us?!" they whined, "What'd you do? Who was it?"

She smirked deviously at them over the top of her book. "Have you been in your dormitory recently?"

The twins instantly exchanged a worried look before eyeing her suspiciously. They shared one more silent look with each other before standing up to go check their dormitory.

Except when they stood up, the couch cushion remained stuck to their butts.

"What?" they turned and looked over their shoulders, realizing they were stuck together because of the cushion. They tried yanking the pillow off, and pulling away from each other, but it wouldn't budge. Quite a few other Gryffindors around the room noticed and began snickering, Anna included.

The twins finally made eye contact before both looking down at Anna, who was trying to stifle her laughter into the book. "You put a Sticking Charm on our seat!" they exclaimed together, partially in awe and partially annoyed.

"Possibly." she grinned.

Fred and George exchanged smirks, shaking their heads in amusement. "Alright, fair enough. You got us." Fred commented.

"Nice payback." George added, "Now, take it off, please."

Anna hummed thoughtfully, "Actually, I don't quite remember the counter spell for it. Sorry." she shrugged, not sounding sorry in the least.

The twins' smirks fell and they looked at her with blank expressions. Finally, George looked around until he found his older brother.

"Charlie! Do you know the counter spell for the Sticking Charm?!" George shouted from across the room.

Charlie took in their position, with a crimson couch cushion stuck to both their bums, as well as Annabelle's smug grin, and fought a smirk. "Actually, it's been awhile since I studied that one. I'm afraid I can't remember how it goes."

Fred and George's jaws dropped while everyone else in the common room began to laugh. "You can't be serious." the twins chorused.

Charlie shrugged. "Sorry, guys. You may have to go see if Madam Pomfrey can remove it."

"But that's all the way down on the first floor!" Fred cried.

"That's seven floors down, Charlie!" George added.

Charlie just shrugged again. "Well, I don't know what else to tell you, but it's nearly curfew, so you might want to get a move on."

The twins pouted and looked down at Anna, who bit her lip to keep from laughing at the dread in their eyes. Finally, they sighed in defeat, carefully walking around the couch with the cushion keeping them side-by-side. As they passed Anna, Fred patted her on the shoulder. "Well played, Black."

"Thank you, Weasley." Anna smiled, turning in her seat to watch them as they made their way toward the portrait hole. It was extra amusing when they couldn't fit through together, so they had to figure out how to scoot through sideways, one twin at a time. She could hear them grumbling and complaining the whole time until the portrait closed behind them.

When they were gone Charlie plopped down on the arm of the couch next to her. He didn't comment or congratulate her. He merely lifted a hand so she could give him a high-five.

XXX

"Took you two long enough." Anna commented when the twins entered the abandoned bathroom on the first floor. Anna was already sitting on the stone floor, a cauldron over a new flame in front of her, and her Potions book and box of ingredients sitting next to her.

"Sorry, Filch was trying to give us a hard time." George commented as they approached and plopped down on the floor with the cauldron between the three.

"So, why is this bathroom out of order? Charlie mentioned it's been that way for years. Why doesn't someone fix it?"

Anna hummed thoughtfully as she checked the recipe in her book and began crushing the snake fangs in the mortar. "I think someone was killed in here a long time ago."

Fred and George made a disturbed 'oh' kind of sound.

"What do you mean _oh_?!" an obnoxious voice shouted in their ears, making all three eleven year olds jump. There, hovering above them, was the ghost of a girl in a Ravenclaw uniform with dark hair with bangs, pimples, and thick glasses.

"Who are you?" Fred asked, having thought he'd already met all the ghosts in Hogwarts.

"Well, of course you don't know who I am." the girl griped. "No one likes to talk about fat, ugly Moaning Myrtle." she ranted.

Anna raised an eyebrow at the ghost, silently wondering if she was stuck in the bathroom forever. That would be a very sad existence.

"Uh, well, sorry. We just…uh…" George was at a loss for words.

"Of course, compared to all the ghosts in the castle who died in battle, who would want to talk to a girl who died in a bathroom cubicle." Moaning Myrtle continued.

Fred tried to stifle his laughter, which made it come out as a snort. Myrtle swooped down and got in his face.

"Is that funny to you?!" she shouted.

Fred lurched back, his eyes comically wide. Lucky for him, Moaning Myrtle didn't wait for a response, she just flew away and vanished into one of the toilets, causing a loud splash.

The trio exchanged wide-eyed stares before bursting into laughter.

"W-well, that explains why people don't come in here." George chuckled.

"Who would want a ghost peaking in on them when they're using the loo?" Fred added.

"Yeah, I think I'm avoiding this place after today." Anna laughed, moving on to the potion.

Together, they quickly finished the first part of the potion within five minutes before having to leave it to sit for about 35 minutes. George added the next ingredient, leaving Fred and Anna to be ready in their 'posts'.

They left the cauldron on the fire, against the instructions, and added the two porcupine quills.

As it did that day in Potions class, the cauldron melted, allowing the potion to spill onto the bathroom floor and release the same horrid odor into the air. They made sure not to touch the potion as Fred siphoned the odor out of the air with his wand while Anna used a spell she'd learned to transfer some of the potion into a few crystal vials she'd bought, which hopefully wouldn't melt if the potion wanted to do that. Once she corked the vials, George vanished the rest of the mess, leaving the bathroom looking as they found it.

Anna proudly held the vials up for her cohorts to see, matching their mischievous smirks.

"I know we won't be using those for a while, but I seriously can't wait 'til we do." Fred admitted deviously.

XXX

Anna and the twins entered the Great Hall on the evening of Halloween, talking excitedly about the first Quidditch match coming up in a couple weeks. They followed their classmates, who had become more welcoming to Anna since the twins became her friends, and sat down at the Gryffindor table. The Great Hall was decorated for the night, covered in pumpkins, orange streamers, and bats flying around the ceiling.

Fred smirked at Anna. "You think you're ready for tonight?" he asked sneakily.

Anna returned the smirk. "Oh, I'm more than ready."

Dumbledore gave a speech, and at the end the Halloween Feast magically appeared on the tables. Apples, cauldrons filled with giant lollipops, carrot cake, pumpkin juice, and all sorts of Halloween-related treats and dishes.

Everyone dug in, filling up their plates as much as they could. After a few minutes, George and Fred glanced at Annabelle, who was sitting between them.

"When?" George whispered from the corner of his mouth.

Anna glanced around the Great Hall. Everyone was eating something. There was about an equal amount of food on the table and on everyone's plates. She smirked at the twins, pulling her wand from her robe pocket.

Her eyes found the Slytherin table and she subtly pointed her wand at one of the larger plates. Fred and George did the same, Fred pointing down the Gryffindor table and George pointing at the Ravenclaw table.

They all muttered, " _Tarantallegra_ ," and all the food and dishes began dancing over the tabletops. Fred then quickly repeated the spell with his wand pointed at the Hufflepuff table. Several people shouted in surprise, and a few in anger, but for the most part people started laughing. Anna and the twins quickly tucked their wands away and laughed with their classmates as the lollipops hopped out of the cauldron near them and began dancing in a conga line.

Even louder laughter erupted when, at the Slytherin table, a pumpkin jumped on Marcus Flint's head, the bottom breaking so his head was trapped inside the pumpkin. His hands flailed about and he tried to yank the pumpkin off his head with no success.

Eventually, Dumbledore waved his wand and caused all the food to freeze.

"Well, that was certainly a bit of added entertainment for the evening. Now, however, I'm sure everyone would like to actually _eat_ their food. I'm growing a bit famished myself." he added with a smile before sitting back down.

Anna exchanged a mischievous smirk with the twins.

"Happy Halloween." they sang quietly among themselves.

 **XXX**

 **I almost wish I'd waited until Halloween to post this one, because of the ending, but I couldn't make you guys wait that long. That'd be just cruel.**

 **Anyway, review and let me know what you thought! : )**


	9. Accidentally Pranking Snape

Anna followed the twins and Lee Jordan out toward the Quidditch pitch on the first Saturday of November, her crimson and gold Gryffindor scarf wrapped around her neck over her casual sweater and jeans. They quickly climbed up into the stands and found good seats in the front. The stands filled up within fifteen minutes, since the group had wanted to get good seats, and soon the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams were flying out onto the pitch, their names and positions being called out by the Commentator, some Seventh year Hufflepuff.

The game started off rather fast, and Anna was literally leaning over the edge of the stands to watch the action. She understood the basics of how the game was played, the only things she was confused on was how points contributed to winning the Quidditch Cup. But she didn't need to worry about that, since this was only the first match of the year.

Slytherin was quickly able to get twenty points over Gryffindor, but then their Beater hit one of Gryffindor's Chasers over the head with his bat. This earned Gryffindor a foul that gained them 10 points. Before long, the teams were tied.

The match seemed to go on for hours, but Anna's eyes rarely left the pitch. Slytherin played dirty and managed to gain 50 points, but Gryffindor gave their all and earned their own 40 points.

Then, Charlie zoomed by the stands right in front of Anna and the twins. Slytherin's Seeker sped up on Charlie's tail. Charlie's hand stretched out, and that's when Anna caught the light glinting off a small, golden ball just inches in front of Charlie's hand. He was just inches away from snagging a win for Gryffindor.

Unfortunately, a Slytherin Beater saw this and hit a Bludger in the Gryffindor Captain's direction. The Bludger slammed into Charlie's shoulder, nearly knocking him off his broom. Anna, along with the twins and all Gryffindor supporters, shouted their anger at the move. The Slytherin Seeker managed to slam Charlie aside and snag the Snitch from the air, securing a victory for Slytherin.

Every house but Slytherin it seemed booed while the House of snakes cheered for their team. Anna banged her fist on the edge of the stands in front of her, a scowl on her face as she watched the Slytherin team fly a victory lap with their Seeker holding his prize in the air.

"Come on." Fred tugged on Anna's arm, "Charlie's probably headed for the hospital wing soon. Lets meet him there."

Sure enough, Charlie arrived soon after Anna and the twins at the hospital wing, the whole Gryffindor team dragging their feet after him.

"You guys still came pretty close." Anna sympathized when Charlie sat down on a bed, holding his sore arm to his chest.

"Yeah, if Slytherin didn't play so dirty, you guys would've won hands down." Fred added as Madam Pomfrey swooped in and began treating Charlie's arm.

Charlie grinned at the first years. "Don't worry. We'll do better in the next match."

XXX

"You're sure you won't drop me?" George eyed Anna nervously as they stood in the empty corridor.

"I'll try not to as long as you and Fred don't distract me when I'm performing the spell." Anna raised an eyebrow at him as she pointed her wand at him.

George gave Fred a stern look before nodding his consent.

Anna focused on George and did a swish and flick motion with her wand hand, saying clearly, _"Wingardium Leviosa."_

George tried not to freak out when his body went weightless and he began floating. Anna concentrated on raising him up at a gradual pace, not wanting to accidentally smack him into the ceiling. After a few moments, he was about level with the narrow beam that was spread horizontally near the ceiling from one wall to the other. Once he was just above it, he scooted himself over and sat down atop the beam close to the wall so he could hold onto it.

"You good, George?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." George called down.

"Alright, your turn." Fred turned and smirked at Anna, who eyed him nervously.

"If you drop me or smack me into the wall, I'll sick Buckbeak on you." she warned as he pulled his wand from his robes.

Fred repeated the incantation and wand movement and Anna lifted weightlessly from the ground. Soon, she was sitting next to George, but near the other wall so she had something to hold on to. George then used the spell on his twin and hovered Fred up to sit on the narrow beam between them.

"There. Now, the vials?" Fred asked, turning to Anna, who pulled the three vials of blue-colored potion from her robe pocket. Fred rubbed his hands together deviously. "Excellent."

Anna handed one to each of the twins, keeping the third one for herself. Now, all they had to do was wait.

Finally, the clock chimed and the classes were dismissed, filling the hall with students. Anna's eyes quickly scanned the halls until she found one of their targets.

"Guys, Montague's right there." she whispered, pointing him out in the crowd. Fred and George nodded before George pointed further away.

"And there's Bole. Both targets identified." he grinned.

"Remember, this stuff is nasty. Do your best to hit your target and not an innocent bystander." Anna pointed out as she uncorked her vial.

"So, remind me again, what did these gits do to you?" George asked, peaking around his twin to see Anna.

"Bole hit me in the face with a Stinging Jinx, and Montague pushed me down the Dungeon stairs." she admitted quietly. She'd put off telling the twins exactly what the two Slytherins had done to her, only that it was much worse than what the twins themselves did.

Fred and George's faces turned red and their brown eyes darkened in anger when they turned back to find their targets in the crowd. They uncorked the vials as Montague neared the spot under them in the hall.

Anna pulled her wand out with her free hand, wanting to have as much accuracy as she could. She waved her wand and made a little bit of the potion float from the vial and fly down toward the ground, hitting Montague right on his right hand. Fred and George tipped their vials to allow a little of their potions to pour out. George's missed and hit the ground, since he was too far over, but Fred's landed right on top of Montague's head.

Montague paused and looked around, his free hand going up to touch the top of his head before he continued down the hall. Anna and the twins had to muffle their laughter behind their hands, but quickly pulled their act together when they saw Bole approaching.

They repeated their earlier actions, but this time George copied what Anna did to ensure he hit his target this time. Anna once again his Bole's hand, Fred hit his head, and George made the potion go up Bole's sleeve to get his arm.

It wasn't long before two shocked, pained yells filled the corridor, making the three Gryffindors muffle their laughter again.

XXX

"Is it ready or not?" Fred grumbled, the twins standing side-by-side while Anna sat on their shoulders.

"One minute." Anna hissed, ignoring the temptation to kick him. She didn't want to risk him dropping her and the buckets above them falling. She tapped her wand on the last bucket, sticking it to the wall for a specific amount of time.

A low, bird-like whistle came from down the hall.

"That's Lee." George hissed.

"Hurry up, Black." Fred added in the same voice.

"Done." she whispered, and the twins instantly dropped her on her feet. They quickly looked up at the row of buckets spread out above the top of the narrow stairs that lead down to the dungeons.

"Alright, that should hold. Lets get Lee and go to breakfast." Anna suggested, leading the way down the corridor. They met up with Lee right as a Professor Anna didn't recognize walked by, hardly sparing the seemingly-innocent first years a glance.

The group of four sat down at the Gryffindor table with Angelina and Alicia. Anna wasn't exactly friends with them, but they were all friends with the twins, which seemed to be good enough for the girls.

As they were eating breakfast, Fred leaned forward with his elbows on the table so the girls across from him could hear him over the chatter of the Great Hall.

"Alright, just to give you girls a heads up, don't head to Potions until you see the Slytherins leave. In fact, I'd leave right after them if I were you." he finished with a smirk.

Angelina and Alicia exchanged a glance that was curious, nervous, and excited. They didn't question it, having gotten used to the twins' antics and pranks, they merely nodded and agreed.

They all ate their fill, Anna keeping an eye on the Slytherin first years. Just as expected, right around 9:30 a few of the Slytherins started getting up to go to Potions. Anna nudged George who instantly noticed the first years from their enemy house getting ready to leave. He then nudged Fred.

The twins exchanged a glance with Anna, who nodded. They stood up, leaving their empty plates on the table, and casually began to leave the Great Hall behind the Slytherins. They heard the other first years in their House get up and follow them, knowing something was going to happen to their rival House and wanting to be there to witness it.

The twins, Lee, and Anna made sure to stay far enough back but not so far as to be suspicious. Anna glanced at a clock in the corridor as they walked and was pleased to see that the Slytherins should reach the stairs at exactly the right time. _'One reason you should never follow a specific pattern everyday,'_ she thought to herself with a smirk.

As they neared the top of the dungeon stairs, the pranksters watched in anticipation, eager to see the result. Unfortunately, they didn't account for Snape arriving at the stairs at the same time as the students, heading down to the classroom earlier than usual. Anna barely had time to register this when the clock struck the correct time and the buckets disappeared. The green, foul-smelling liquid in them, with nothing holding it up, fell and landed with a loud splash on most of the Slytherin first years and their Head of House.

The twins and Lee, as well as the other Gryffindors behind them, burst out laughing while Anna's hand flew to her mouth as her eyes went wide. She wasn't sure if she should laugh or be horrified by the fact that she had just participated in pranking a Professor. And _Professor Snape_ at that! He already hated her enough!

All the Slytherins were freaking out and screeching in disgust, trying to shake the liquid off themselves and complaining about the stench. Snape was frozen for all of three seconds before he spun around and scanned the crowd with his beady eyes.

"WHO DARED TO-" he cut off his shouting when his eyes landed on Anna, standing between the twins. "YOU!" he shouted, marching towards her.

Anna wanted to step back, but her feet were frozen in fear as the fuming Potions Master approached, completely drenched in nasty-smelling green stuff.

"YOU DID THIS!" Snape bellowed, grabbing Anna's arm harshly in his hand, causing her to wince. "I KNOW IT WAS YOU!" he shouted.

"Professor, it wasn't!" Fred jumped to defend her, surprised at how harshly Snape was reacting.

"It was us, Professor. She had nothing to do with it!" George added, worried by how tight the man's grip was on Anna's arm. She looked like she was in pain.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor!" Snape shouted, practically spitting in the twins' faces, "And since you two want to link yourselves to this filth, then you can join Black in detention in my room every night until Holidays!"

The three friends stood in shocked silence as Snape spun around, his robes flourishing behind him. He waved his wand over his head and the green stuff vanished like it'd never been there to begin with. He marched past his Slytherins down the stairs, ignoring their whimpering and begging to clean the stuff off them, too.

Anna exchanged a glance with the twins, slightly rubbing her sore arm.

"Well,…that didn't go well." Anna muttered, trying to break the awkward silence.

Fred actually laughed, "Are you joking? That was brilliant! I mean, up until Snape freaked out an' all, that seemed a bit over the top, even for him. But did you see those snakes' faces?"

George chuckled, too. "And Snape's face _did_ look a bit funny after he got hit. I swear, it nearly turned purple."

Finally, Anna cracked a smile. Then, she chuckled, too. "Yeah, I guess that was pretty funny." she admitted.

"Is your arm okay?" George asked in concern, eyeing the way she was still rubbing her arm with her other hand.

Anna looked down at it, even though it was covered by her robe sleeve, she had a feeling it would bruise. "Yeah, I'm fine. I promise."

Fred and George eyed her doubtfully, but they let it drop and headed to Potions class, accepting high fives and pats on the back from their fellow Gryffindor first years.

"So, where did you get that green stuff?" Lee whispered curiously as they entered the room.

Anna grinned. "You don't want to know."

XXX

Later that day, Anna gave a relaxed sigh, leaning back against the fence post of the hippogriff pen as she watched the herd go about their business. Occasionally, one of them would approach her and nudge her either for food or to be scratched, but for the most part they went about their own business.

"Charlie said I might find you here."

Anna looked over her shoulder to see Tonks approaching. Today her hair was short, curly and light blue. She stumbled over a small rock before stopping and crouching on the other side of the fence and peaking through the posts at Anna.

"Yeah. I should probably be doing homework, but I'd rather not clean cauldrons in a few hours with hand cramps." Anna answered with a grimace.

"Ah yes, the result of a brilliant prank on the slimy Head of Slytherin House." Tonks nodded, "It's all over the school you know. Everyone's going on about it. 'Cept the Slytherins, of course." she finished with a smirk.

Anna laughed. Her and Tonks had been sure to talk at least a couple times a week, about anything from their Metamorphic abilities, classes, Quidditch, and their families. Tonks had also written to her mum the day after meeting Anna in the hospital wing, and they'd discovered that Tonks' mum and Anna's dad had been cousins.

"So, which one of these is the one that saved you?" Tonks asked curiously.

Anna pointed across the pen, where Buckbeak was napping in a ray of sunshine. "That one with the gray feathers, napping."

"He's pretty amazing, huh?" Tonks commented.

"You have no idea."


	10. Elves, Maps, and Exams Oh my!

Snape wasn't kidding about Annabelle and the twins having detention every night until Christmas break, so a little over two weeks. And it was horrible work, too. They had to clean cauldrons and scrub the tables in his room. And Fred swore he was telling his students to leave their cauldrons alone after class, just so everything would be extra crusted in the cauldrons when they got there.

The twins got a Howler from their mum a couple days after their prank on the Slytherins, and it was safe to say she was _not_ happy with them. She even threatened to get rid of their Christmas presents. Of course, Charlie assured Anna that she would never do that, since most of their Christmas presents every year consisted of a knitted jumper that Mrs. Weasley made every year for all of her children. He doubted she'd actually get rid of one of those.

Anna, herself, didn't get a Howler. Her mum waited until she was home for Christmas holidays to scold her and send her to her room. She almost threatened to cancel their plans to go to Diagon Alley for their annual Christmas shopping, during which they'd split up for a couple hours and shop for each other and meet back up for lunch somewhere. Of course, it was too special of a tradition for them for Wren to cancel.

Of course, now that Anna actually had some friends, she bought a few more things while she was in Diagon Alley. She bought her mum a new pair of mittens, since her old ones were finally falling apart.

She bought the twins a bundle of things, really; which they were under strict orders to _share_ with each other. She hadn't been sure what to get them individually, but she figured she couldn't go wrong with sweets and jokes. So, she got Chocolate Frogs and Licorice Wands from Sugarplum's Sweets Shop, some joke products from Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, and a book she happened upon in Flourish and Blotts called ' _Curses and Counter-Curses (Bewitch your Friends and Befuddle your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and much, much more)_.

For Charlie, she didn't technically buy him anything because a couple days before they left for Christmas break, she'd been hanging out with Buckbeak when one of his large, gray feathers fell off. She'd picked it up and thought that it might make a nice quill, and as soon as that idea popped into her head, she decided to give it to Charlie.

Anna sent Charlie, Fred, and George's presents with her mum's Tawny owl, Helena, a couple days before Christmas. The owl returned on Christmas Day with a couple presents and letters.

Anna's mum gave her the book ' _Quidditch Through the Ages'_ , since Anna had told her in a letter about trying out of the team. The twins, since they had been unable to actually buy anything, sent Anna a tin of biscuits their mum made for Christmas. Charlie, on the other hand, bought Anna the book _'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'_. Normally, Anna wasn't that much of a book person, at least not compared to her mum, but she found herself looking forward to reading both books she received that Christmas.

The letters she got with the presents were from the twins and Charlie, telling her that their mum wouldn't allow them to open their presents until Christmas morning, so they were just thanking her in advance and would thank her again properly at school after they found out what their presents were. And to say Happy Christmas, of course.

The day after Christmas, Anna and her mum were lounging in the living room, drinking tea and reading their own books. Anna had started on her ' _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'_. They were interrupted by a Screech owl tapping on the window. Anna marked her spot before getting up to let the owl in, and it dropped a letter on the coffee table.

Seeing that it was addressed to her, Anna picked it up and opened it. She smiled when she saw the moving picture of Tonks and who she guessed were Tonks' parents in what looked like Paris.

Setting the photo on the coffee table, Anna opened the letter to see what her cousin had to say.

 _Wotcher cousin,_

 _Merry Christmas! Hope you're enjoying having a break after all those detentions Snape made you suffer through. Thought you may want a copy of this photo, since you were saying you wanted to see what Paris had to offer. I'm telling you, as amazing as it is, I refuse to eat snails._

 _Also, my mum wanted me to mention she really misses your mum. She'll probably owl her before too long, she wants to go out for tea or lunch and catch up._

 _Hope you have a happy New Year, Anna._

 _Tonks_

"Mum, I got a letter from Tonks." Anna announced, handing the photo Tonks had sent. "She also says her mum misses you and wants to meet and catch up sometime. She'll probably owl you soon."

Wren took the picture and smiled at it. "Thanks, sweetie. I'll put this up here so we can see it." she said, placing the picture on the fireplace mantle among a few other old family photos.

XXX

When Anna found the twins on the train after Christmas Holidays were over, they crushed her in a group hug, repeatedly thanking her for the presents and going on about a bunch of great prank ideas the book had given them. When Anna could finally get a word in, she thanked them in return for the biscuits and letter. Then, the friends, along with Lee, spent most of the ride talking about their holidays, planning pranks, and playing Exploding Snap to pass the time.

The first day back at Hogwarts, after classes, Anna went down to Hagrid's hut for a visit.

"Hi Hagrid." she smiled as she approached, wearing her winter robes and Gryffindor scarf. Hagrid was in his usual fur coat and was holding something in his hand. "Whatcha got there?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, 'ello Anna!" Hagrid greeted her cheerfully as Fang stood up and ambled up to her, his tail wagging. "'ave a good holiday?"

"It was great, thank you." Anna smiled. "What's in your hand?" she asked again.

"Oh, s'a salamander." Hagrid answered, carefully shifting one hand so Anna could see what he was holding but it couldn't escape him. It looked like a small, red lizard. "They're born in fire, an' they can only live as long as the fire that birthed 'em lives. They can survive up to six hours outside their flames if they're fed pepper."

Anna nodded as she looked down at the lizard. "Could…could I hold it?" she asked timidly.

"Course ya can." Hagrid smiled, scooting over on his bench to make room for Annabelle to sit. She sat next to him, and he carefully placed the lizard in her hands. It was smooth, with tiny feet that had round toes. It looked nervously up at her, so she gently stroked it's head with her finger. After a few moments, it started to relax, its eyes blinking lazily.

"It's kinda cute." Anna whispered.

"Yeah, he is. But I better get 'im back into his fire before,…well, you know."

Anna nodded and handed the salamander back to Hagrid to be placed back in the small fire.

XXX

It was late on a Tuesday night that Anna was alone in the common room, curled up in one of the armchairs and reading her _Fantastic Beasts_ book in the light of the fireplace. Hagrid had invited her and Charlie to his hut the next afternoon because he had a very pregnant Niffler he was watching for the Care of Magical Creatures Professor Kettleburn that was due to give birth. In preparation, Anna was reading the chapter on Nifflers, which were adorable in her opinion from the photo that went with the chapter.

She was interrupted by the very soft sound of footsteps coming from the boys staircase. She glanced up over the top of her book, expecting to see a prefect. Instead, it was Fred and George, who didn't look the least bit surprised to see her there.

"Shouldn't you be in bed, young lady?" George teased in a quiet voice, crossing his arms.

Anna grinned. "You sound like my mum. What are you two doing up, anyway?"

"We were just heading down to have some hot chocolate and snacks." Fred answered.

Anna's brow furrowed. "But…I doubt there'd be any food in the Great Hall."

"Goodness, did we forget to show her?" George turned to his twin in mock surprise.

"I do believe we did, George. How ever could we be so foolish?" Fred asked in return.

Anna shook her head at them, fighting a smile. She could tell they hadn't really _forgotten_ to show her whatever they were talking about. They came down to the common room with the intention of showing it to her.

"If you two are done goofing off, I wouldn't say no to some hot chocolate and sweets." she interrupted, marking her spot in her book and putting it on the armchair so she could follow the twins out of the portrait hole.

"You know, you three shouldn't be wandering the castle at night." the Fat Lady sniffed.

They ignored her as they walked down the stairs. Anna wasn't sure where they were going, she just stayed quiet as the twins peaked around corners and hurried down the corridors, all three of them wearing their slippers and bathrobes.

Finally, they made it all the way down to the basement. Anna was very confused as to why they were here, and where they would be getting any kind of food. However, Fred walked right up to a painting of a bowl of fruit. To Anna, this was a very random painting compared to the other Hogwarts paintings that had moving figures and beautiful landscapes.

Fred grinned over his shoulder at George and Anna. "You ready for this?" he asked Anna before turning back to the painting. He reached forward and tickled a pear that was in the fruit bowl. The pear giggled and squirmed, and then twisted into a green doorknob.

Anna's mouth fell open as Fred turned the doorknob and pulled the painting, which served as a door, open. He swept his arm to gesture Anna and George in before him. Seeing Anna was shocked, George patted her on top of the head and stepped through ahead of her. Anna followed slowly, her eyes taking in the enormous room she was entering.

The ceiling was about as high up as the ceiling of the Great Hall. In fact, the set up of the room looked just like the Great Hall, as well; with five identical tables placed in the same positions. Pots and pans were piled high along the brick walls, and at the opposite end of the room from the entrance had a huge brick fireplace.

Anna's mouth was hanging open as she took the whole place in, but she was interrupted by dozens of house-elves scurrying by wearing what looked like togas made of tea towels.

Several of the house-elves stopped what they were doing and hurried over to the three students, shouting, "Mr. Wheezies! Mr. Wheezies!" They formed a crowd around them.

"Hey guys." Fred grinned down at them, reaching down to shake hands with a couple in the front.

"Guys, this is our friend Annabelle Black." George put in, gesturing to Anna, "Anna, these are the house-elves of Hogwarts."

"Hi." Anna smiled, her eyes sweeping over all the little elves.

"Hello, Ms. Black!" they greeted cheerfully, bowing or curtsying.

"You guys don't suppose there's any desserts or treats leftover from dinner, do you? We were hoping for something to eat and drink before bed, if that's alright?"

"Of course, Mr. Wheezy!" they answered before scurrying off in different directions. A few of them took Anna's and the twins' hands and lead them to a table nearby to sit down. Anna sat next to George with Fred across from them. Before long a plate full of leftover snacks and sweets was placed in front of them, along with three mugs of hot chocolate.

"Thank you." Anna smiled at the small house-elf that had delivered their food with a tray balanced on her head.

"You're very welcome, Ms. Black." the little elf squeaked with a bright smile before scurrying away.

Anna smiled before placing a slice of lemon meringue pie, a couple pieces of fudge, and a scoop of ice cream on her own plate.

"So, these guys cook all the food here at Hogwarts?" she asked, nibbling on her fudge before taking a sip of hot chocolate.

"Yep. Cooking,"

"And cleaning." the twins answered, "Pretty much everything." George added.

Anna watched the little elves with a little less happiness than before. "I always kinda hated the idea of making the house-elves serve us. I mean, you'd think we'd be past slavery by now. We're magic, all we have to do is wave our wands and clean a room."

"That's true." Fred agreed, "But these guys love working. We've been here several times and they're always more than happy to help us out."

"The way I see it," George put in after swallowing a bite of apple tart, "is that having a house-elf is fine, as long as you treat them right. I know there are a lot of witches and wizards who mistreat their elves. Threatening them, beating them…I honestly can't even imagine raising a hand to one of these little guys. They're the kindest, most helpful creatures you could ever meet. They love being here and working."

Anna nodded, smiling again. That was exactly how she saw it. "Same here."

They sat and talked for a good half hour, eating their way through their desserts and drinks. The twins told her how the house-elves cooked all the food, placed them on the tables, and then the food would magically go from these tables up to their clones in the Great Hall.

When finished with their food, Anna and the twins walked back to the Gryffindor common room through a secret passageway behind a tapestry that Anna had never seen before.

"How did you know this was here?" she asked them admiringly.

"Don't worry, young apprentice." George rested his arm over her shoulders.

"We'll teach you all our secrets one day." Fred gave Anna the same smirk as his twin.

Anna scowled at them. "'Apprentice'? I came up with half our pranks!"

XXX

Gryffindor won their Quidditch match against Hufflepuff in the beginning of March by 100 points. It certainly boosted morale in the House of Lions, but their next and final match was against Ravenclaw, who had already flattened Hufflepuff and managed to beat Slytherin by 60 points. If Gryffindor wanted any chance of winning the Quidditch Cup, they'd have to beat Ravenclaw.

It was a Saturday afternoon. Charlie was busy with Quidditch practice. Anna had visited Hagrid for a few hours and got to help feed some Unicorns, but now she was working on her homework that she was a bit behind on. She was sitting out in the courtyard under the shade of a tree, enjoying the spring breeze.

"Hey Anna."

Annabelle jumped when two voices suddenly spoke over her shoulder. She glared up at the twins as they chuckled at her.

"You two are prats." she informed them, "What do you want?"

"We wanted to show you the secret to our success." Fred informed her.

Anna turned and eyed them curiously. "What do you mean?"

"We mean this." George answered as he handed her a winkled and worn old piece of parchment.

She took it from him and looked it over. "Is this a joke?" she asked them.

They chuckled at her, as if she were a naive little child. "That's what we want our enemies to think." George responded as they moved to sit on either side of her.

Fred nudged her with his elbow. "Watch this." He pulled his wand from his pants pocket and touched the tip to the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Anna watched in amazement as ink slowly started to appear on the parchment, as if soaking through the back. When it finished, there were words written out on the front.

 _Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

 _Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

 _are proud to present_

 _THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

"'The Marauder's Map'?" Anna read curiously, "What's the Marauder's Map?" she asked, looking back and forth between the twins on either side of her.

"Why don't you open it up and have a look?" George suggested with a playful grin.

Anna eyed him for a moment before carefully unfolding the parchment to reveal…

"Wait…is this _Hogwarts_?" she asked in shock, looking at Fred for confirmation.

"It is." he answered with a nod.

"But," she stopped and looked back at the map, quickly opening it the rest of the way and laying it out on her lap. It indeed was a map of Hogwarts, except there were hundreds of tiny dots moving around the corridors, courtyard, and rooms with tiny names following them. "Are these real people?" she asked.

"Of course they're real." George grinned before leaning over to point at the map. "There's Charlie heading toward the common room." he pointed out where a dot with the name 'Charlie Weasley' was heading for the seventh floor.

Fred leaned over from the opposite side, "There's Nearly Headless Nick going through the wall of the Great Hall." Sure enough, a dot with the name 'Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington' seemed to pass through the wall from the Great Hall out into the corridor.

"And there's Dumbledore and McGonagall in his office." And once again, George was right. The names 'Albus Dumbledore' and 'Minerva McGonagall' were in the Headmaster's Office.

"I think you get the point." Fred finished, watching as Anna looked the map over with her mouth hanging open. After a moment, Fred reached over again, this time to tap her chin with his knuckle to close her mouth. "Brilliant, isn't it?"

"This is amazing!" she finally exclaimed, "But where the bloody hell did you get this?"

"Well, way back in October, Filch dragged us to his office for setting dungbombs off in the corridors. And in his office, we saw a drawer marked, _'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous'_. So, of course we had to nick something from it." Fred started.

"So, I set off another dungbomb and Fred stole the map. It took a while to figure out how to get it to work,"

"but it'd flicker to life here and there, giving us clues to the activating phrase until we eventually figured it out."

"That's how we knew that secret passageway the other night."

"And there's more where those came from, too." Fred leaned over and pointed at a statue labeled 'One Eyed Witch'. "That passageway, turns out, is the best way to get to Hogsmeade unseen. Goes to Honeydukes cellar."

"There's seven passageways on the map that lead to Hogsmeade." George added, "But that one's by far been the best."

"You two went to Hogsmeade without me?" Anna asked, mildly upset at being left out.

"We needed to ensure you could be trusted, not just by us, but with this map. Obviously, it's valuable and we could get into quite a bit of trouble getting caught with it if anyone found out what it was." George explained.

"But we've both decided that, not only are you trustworthy,"

"you're our best friend,"

"and one hell of a prankster." Fred finished with a smirk.

Anna smiled. "Thanks." she whispered sincerely.

"But first, we should probably tell you what to do when you're done with the map, so no one else can read it." George announced as he took the map from Anna and folded it back up. Anna's eyes lingered on the names at the top. For some reason, the name 'Padfoot' felt familiar. It was niggling at the edge of her memory, and she somehow knew she'd heard the name before. She just couldn't quite put a finger on it.

George tapped his wand on the map again and said, "Mischief Managed." Slowly, the ink and words began to disappear until it looked like just another old bit of parchment.

XXX

Ravenclaw ended up winning the match against Gryffindor by 60 points, the Ravenclaw Seeker just managing to nab the Snitch a second before Charlie. Being the last match of the year, this earned Ravenclaw the Quidditch Cup with about 50 points over Slytherin. This left Gryffindor House in a bit of a foul mood, but they were at least pleased it wasn't Slytherin that won the Cup.

With Final Exams being only a couple weeks after that last match, people didn't have much time to celebrate, or sulk, because most everyone had to crack down and study. Of course, the twins hardly studied, maybe for about half an hour a night before they got bored and moved on to something more interesting. Anna would love to see what scores they ended up getting on their exams.

It was extremely stressful, and everyone was happy when they finished their last exam. To celebrate, the twins took Anna to the One Eyed Witch Passage to go to Honeydukes cellar.

Anna wasn't sure about the trip after a while. They'd gone to the humpbacked statue of Gunhilda and Fred tapped the hump with his wand and said the incantation, "Dissendium." The hunched back opened and lead to a short, stone slide. Anna didn't really like the tunnel at the bottom, which was very low and narrow, and it took them over an hour to reach the trap door of Honeydukes cellar.

However, the huge assortment of candies in the shop made it worthwhile. The three grabbed a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, a couple Cauldron Cakes, a few Chocolate Frogs, a couple bars of Honeydukes Best Chocolate, a couple Jelly Slugs, and some Saltwater Taffy. Anna felt bad that they were pretty much stealing, so she did some math in her head and guessed the price for the candy they were taking, leaving five Galleons sprinkled around the floor of the cellar for the shop owner to find, as if they'd just been dropped there.

Then, with a bag full of sweets, the three friends made the trip back through the cellar and out the statue to their common room. The twins invited Anna up to their dormitory, since they didn't want anyone asking where they got all their candy, and they joined Lee in their room.

"Can't believe this year's almost over." Anna murmured thoughtfully as she nibbled on a Chocolate Frog. She'd quickly learned George didn't like Cauldron Cakes and that his favorite flavors of Every Flavor Beans were Blueberry and Chocolate. Meanwhile, Fred didn't like the cherry flavored salt water taffy because to him it tasted like the Potion his mum made him drink when he was sick as a child, but his favorite candy was Chocolate of any kind.

"Yeah. Glad I'm done with those exams." George commented.

Lee snorted. "You two didn't hardly study." he pointed out with a laugh.

"Hey," Fred suddenly sat up from where he'd been sprawled out on his bed and looked over at Anna, who was sitting on the end of George's bed, "it's almost the end of the year. That means you've got to decide if you're coming back next year or not."

George and Lee instantly looked at Anna with interest and hope.

"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot about that." Anna murmured, looking at her lap.

"You're not really going to choose being home schooled, are you?" George asked worriedly. "What about trying out for the Quidditch team next year?"

"And helping us prank the Slytherins?"

"And sneaking into Hogsmeade again next year?" George added. Lee knew the twins had been sneaking into Hogsmeade, he just wasn't entirely sure how, since they wanted to wait until next year to tell him about the map.

Anna sighed, peaking up at the twins thoughtfully. She did have to admit, after her and the twins became friends, Hogwarts had become everything she'd dreamed it would. It was fun and amazing and she loved being there.

"Well,…I suppose I can't abandon Charlie his last year." she finally spoke teasingly.

"So you'll come back?" Fred asked, hardly daring to hope.

Anna finally smiled and nodded.

"Yes!" the twins both shouted. Fred launched himself from his bed to George's, landing with a bounce next to Anna and George. The twins hugged Anna tightly, knocking all the candy on the floor. Anna laughed so hard her cheeks and stomach hurt, but she didn't care. She actually had some hope for the future.

 **XXX**

 **I posted an extra chapter this week. Not sure if anyone's noticed, but I've been posting a chapter every Thursday. However, I also decided to post extra chapters on days that are significant to Harry Potter fans. So, seeing as today is Halloween, I decided to post this chapter today. Rest in peace Lily and James Potter!**

 **Hope you all liked this chapter. Review and let me know what you thought!**


	11. Summer

A week later, everyone got their results for their final exams. Anna easily passed Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts; somehow managed to pass History of Magic and Astronomy; and she barely passed Potions.

When she saw the twins' grades, however, her mouth fell open.

"How did you manage to do that?" she asked, snatching Fred's report card from his hand. Fred and George's grades were a bit different from each other, but they still both managed to get decent grades. Their Charms, Defense, and Potions grades were just a bit better than Anna's, while the rest were a bit worse than hers, but still overall, they were decent grades considering the twins didn't hardly study.

"How the bloody hell did you two manage to pull this off?" she asked again, looking at them in shock, "You didn't cheat, did you?"

"Of course not." the twins answered, sounding mildly offended that she'd even consider that they might cheat on a test.

"We would never do something so dishonest, besides,"

"the quills had anti-cheating spells on them." Fred finished with a smirk.

Anna rolled her eyes, but smiled a bit as she handed his grade sheet back to him.

"You two are nutters."

XXX

Anna's ride on the Hogwarts Express at the end of the year was much more pleasant than the one on September 1st. She rode in the same compartment as the twins, Lee, and Angelina and Alicia; who she'd become better friends with recently. They ate more candy from the trolley, played games, and talked about their plans for the summer. Angelina also wanted to play with Anna's hair, so she willingly made her hair grow down to her waist for the train ride so Ang could braid her hair.

Soon, the train slowed to a stop in the train station. Everyone packed up their things and left the compartment, and Anna returned her hair back to it's normal length. She tried to see if she could spot her mum over the heads of the large crowd as she pushed her trolley full of her school things away from the train.

"Hey Anna, come meet our parents." Fred tugged on Anna's arm and lead her through the crowd. She honestly shouldn't have been surprised when the twins lead her to where there was an older couple, a young boy, and a little girl; all with bright red hair.

"Mum!" George called over the crowd.

"Fred! George!" their mother called happily as she hurried toward them. She was a short, plump woman with flaming red hair and a very kind-looking face. She quickly pulled both Fred and George into a hug. They willing let her crush them, each giving her a kiss on opposite cheeks. When they pulled away, the twins then stepped forward to hug who Anna guessed was their dad. The man was a bit taller than his wife and had a lanky build with bright red hair.

When the twins stepped back from hugging their dad, Fred looked over his shoulder. "Anna, come over here!" he called, waving her closer.

Anna stepped forward, pushing her trolley closer with a hesitant smile.

"Mum, dad, this is our friend Anna that we told you about." George introduced them, throwing his arm around Anna's shoulder to reassure her.

"And Anna, these are our parents, and our brother Ron and sister Ginny." Fred added.

"Oh, it's wonderful to meet you dear." their mother stated happily, giving Anna s hug and taking her by surprise. "We've heard so much about you from the twins and Charlie."

Anna blushed when she was finally released. "Oh, um, thank you, Mrs. Weasley. And the twins mentioned the biscuits they sent me for Christmas were made by you. They were delicious, thank you very much."

"Oh, dear, call me Molly. And you're very welcome." she smiled warmly, "This is my husband, Arthur."

"Delighted to meet you." Arthur shook Anna's hand firmly, his bright blue eyes looking very much like Charlie's.

"Hey mum, dad." Charlie greeted as he pushed his own trolley over with Percy on his heel.

Molly instantly pounced on her other sons, hugging them tightly and kissing their cheeks.

Suddenly, there was a tugging on Anna's sweater sleeve. Anna started in surprise and looked down at the small, 8 year old girl with straight, red hair to her shoulders and warm brown eyes.

"I'm Ginny." she introduced herself confidently, "Are you the girl that helped Fred and George prank the Slytherins?" she asked this question a bit quieter so her mum wouldn't hear, and leaned up on her tiptoes.

"Um, yeah that was me." Anna answered with a nod.

"And Charlie said you almost made it on the Quidditch team even though first years aren't allowed?" she urged, her face lighting up with excitement. Her wide smile revealed one of her bottom teeth was missing.

"Well,…I don't know if I almost made the team, but Charlie seems to think I'm really good at flying." Anna answered uncertainly.

"In other words, yes she almost made the team." Charlie cut in, interrupting a conversation he'd been having with his parents.

"Which is against school rules, Charlie." Percy added haughtily.

"Stuff it, Perce." Charlie ruffled Percy's hair, messing it up and knocking his glasses askew.

"Molly!"

Anna's head snapped up in shock when she heard her mother's voice.

Molly Weasley's face lit up. "Wren!"

Sure enough, Wren Black pushed through the crowd with a smile on her face.

"Oh, I haven't seen you in years!" Molly squealed, giving Wren a tight hug, which Wren returned eagerly.

Anna blinked in surprise. "Wait, huh?"

"What is it?" Fred asked from beside Anna.

"That's my mum." she whispered to him, causing his brows to shoot up.

"Really?"

"What are you doing here? Oh, wait! Isn't your daughter in Hogwarts now?" Molly questioned excitedly as she pulled back from the hug, allowing Arthur to step forward and hug Wren as well.

"Actually, that's part of the reason I came over here. I thought I recognized this mass of redheads, and then I saw my daughter right in the middle." Wren explained with a playful smile as her green eyes landed on Anna.

Molly stared at Anna in shock before turning to Charlie next to her and swatting his arm.

"Ow!"

"Why didn't you tell me she was Annabelle Black? You all just called her 'Anna'."

"'Cause that's typically what we call her." George answered.

"We didn't expect you to know her mother." Fred added.

"Wait, how do you know each other?" Anna finally asked, looking between her mum and Mrs. Weasley. First she finds out Hagrid knew her as a baby, now she's finding out the mother of her two best friends knew her mum, as well.

"Well,…our families and friends spent quite a bit of time together during the war." Wren answered with a knowing glance at Molly and Arthur.

Anna and the twins exchanged a glance themselves, knowing there was more to the story, but also figuring they wouldn't be hearing about it anytime soon.

XXX

The Blacks and Weasleys went their separate ways after talking for a little bit, promising to write and meet up later in the summer in Diagon Alley to buy their school supplies and hang out.

Anna wrote to Fred, George, and Charlie frequently over the summer, though her letters had few interesting stories compared to them. Their summers sounded hilarious and full of fun. Instead of playing Quidditch or hanging out with friends like they did, Anna spent most of her summer alone, reading, and planning out pranks for the next year. Although she was glad the weather was nice, as it allowed her to hang out in their expansive backyard, reading out in the sunlight and such.

Finally, August rolled around and Wren and Molly agreed on a day to meet up in Diagon Alley with their kids for the day to buy their school supplies. Wren also sat Anna down and told her they could stop at Gringotts and get some money from her vault, which she was rarely allowed to do. Wren made this offer because she said that Anna would probably need a broomstick to make the Quidditch team, and she would need her own owl eventually. So, Anna was given the choice of buying a broomstick of her choosing or an owl, and her mum would buy the other one as a gift for her good grades from the previous school year.

XXX

Anna took a handful of Floo powder out of the small bucket her mum held out to her and tossed it into the fireplace. She then stepped into the green flames and stated very clearly, "Diagon Alley."

She was instantly swept away and passed several grates before she was practically thrown from the Floo network and into The Leaky Cauldron, a dingy pub in London. After regaining her footing, Anna waited by the fireplace for her mum to step out, which she did a moment later.

Together, the two witches dressed in black traveling robes made their way to the back door of the pub and out into the courtyard surrounded by brick walls.

Wren pulled her wand from her sleeve and tapped it three times on the brick that was third up and second across on the brick wall. Anna watched with a wide smile, as she did every time they went to Diagon Alley, as a small hole appeared in the wall. It grew wider and wider until it transformed into a large archway that lead to a cobblestone street.

Anna took her mum's hand as they stepped through and into the crowded street of Diagon Alley.

"Now, Molly said to meet them at Gringotts since she's got to pick up some money for the kids, as well."

"Mum, why aren't I normally allowed to take money from my vault?" Anna asked. Honestly, it had been bothering Anna for years. Her mum worked like crazy to make money for their little family, but Anna knew she had at least some money in the bank. She didn't understand why her mum always insisted on using the money she made instead of the money Anna already had.

Wren sighed silently. "Well,…to be honest, all the money in your vault is what used to be in your father's vault before he was arrested. Since he can't use it in Azkaban it was transferred to your vault. I normally don't like to use it because we do just fine without it, and I want to make sure you've got enough money when you're done with school."

Anna nodded slowly, letting the subject drop as they approached the wizarding bank. She knew it was difficult for her mum to talk about her dad. Anna didn't normally ask about her dad because it caused her mum to get all quiet and sad.

They entered Gringotts and quickly spotted the Weasleys. It wasn't the whole family. It seemed Molly had only brought her school-aged children; Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George. Since it was a weekend, and Arthur probably had the day off, he was most likely home with Ron and Ginny.

"Anna!" the twins shouted excitedly the second they saw her, hurrying over and wrapping her up in a group hug. Anna laughed, hugging them back just as tightly.

"Have a good summer so far?" Charlie asked when the twins let her go. He stepped around them to give Anna a one-armed hug as well.

"Can't complain. I've been looking forward to today all summer." Anna admitted while Molly greeted Wren with a hug.

The group went to their separate vaults. Wren took Anna down to her vault. After a crazy ride in a small cart on railway tracks, jerking back and forth and continuing down until Anna was sure she was about to vomit. Finally, they arrived at a vault that a goblin opened using a key.

When the huge door swung open, Anna's mouth dropped open. There was a pile of gold up to Anna's head.

"Whoa." Anna muttered in surprise.

"Now, just take enough to fill this bag. As we agreed at breakfast, I'll buy your broom for you; you just need to buy your books and owl." Wren stated, handing Anna a small pouch.

Anna turned to the pile of coins and tried to decide how much she would need. Her books shouldn't cost more than a few Galleons, and owls were no more than about 15 Galleons, plus anything needed to care for them. Plus, Anna wanted to make sure she had enough money with her for when her and the twins snuck into Honeydukes to nick sweets. She decided she would leave money whenever she went there so they wouldn't drive them out of business.

So, Anna scooped about two dozen Galleons as well as a few Sickles into her pouch before pulling the string to close it and turning back to her mum and the goblin waiting in the doorway.

Wren smiled and lead Anna back into the small cart. They made a quick stop at Wren's vault so she could grab some money, as well, and soon they were zooming back up to the main entrance of Gringotts.

They met back up with the Weasleys and headed to Flourish and Blotts for their first stop. For the most part, it sounded like the Weasleys were getting hand-me-down books from their older siblings, but there were a few that were too worn to save or a class needed a completely different textbook.

Anna only needed a couple books, since most of her books from last year were the same ones on the list for this year. She quickly found them and walked with the twins to the register. After paying they waited outside by the front of the shop for their mums and siblings to be done.

"Okay, you two clearly know way more than me about Quidditch and brooms and stuff," Anna started as they waited outside, "what kind of broom should I get? My mum's getting me one for getting good grades."

Fred and George exchanged a look. "Well, if you want our professional opinion," they started together.

"For one, stay away from the Shooting Star. They're cheap, but it's the kind of brooms the school uses. They lean too far to one side and shake a lot, as I'm sure you've noticed." Anna nodded in agreement with Fred's suggestion.

"The Cleansweep 7 came out last year, and that one seems to be one of the best so far, fast and easy to handle." George added thoughtfully.

"The Nimbus 1700 is also really fast. It came out a few years ago, but it's still pretty expensive."

"There's also the Twigger 90, just came out this year. It's really fast and popular, but real expensive. Charlie also mentioned it's best not to buy a broom that's brand new. It's best to wait until quite a few people have bought it already, so you've got an idea if there's any serious problems with it before you buy."

Anna nodded, taking all that information into account as the rest of their group came out of Flourish and Blotts.

"Alright. Time to buy some brooms." Charlie grinned excitedly at Anna and the twins.

She looked from him to Fred and George. "You didn't tell me you two were buying brooms, too."

Fred and George looked down sheepishly. "Well,…we've got to get ours from 2nd Hand Brooms." George admitted as they walked.

"So?"

"So, you'll probably get a brand new one." Fred pointed out.

"I'm also an only child. Your parents have to feed all of you on one paycheck. It's understandable that things are a bit tight for you. There's nothing wrong with that."

The twins smiled gratefully at her as the group entered 2nd Hand Brooms. Anna stayed by the twins and Charlie as they looked around the shop, taking in all the different brooms and what condition they were in. Some of them had most of their twigs missing, or a chunk taken out of the stick, or they were taped up.

Finally, Charlie managed to find a couple of Cleansweep Fives near the back that were in good condition, only costing 15 Galleons apiece.

"These look good. Mum?" Charlie showed them to Molly, who still seemed hesitant but, in the end, purchased the two brooms. When they left she placed them in her bag, which had an extension charm on it.

Next, they went down the road to Broomstix, where Anna would be buying her own broom. Molly and Wren stayed near the entrance with Percy while Charlie, Anna, and the twins looked around. Keeping what the twins said in mind, Anna narrowed down her choices to a Nimbus 1700 or a Cleansweep 7.

When she found the Nimbus 1700s, she looked at the price tag on one of them and grimaced, glancing around. She could tell the twins were a bit uncomfortable with their family's financial condition, at least compared to hers.

Finding a Cleansweep 7, she found it was a bit cheaper than the Nimbus 1700, and it was obviously faster.

Charlie came up behind her. "Find one?"

"Should I get this one?" she asked him, holding one of the brooms up for him to see.

"Well, it's your choice, but yeah. Cleansweep 7 is a good broom. I've got a used Cleansweep 6 myself."

Anna nodded. "Okay, then. I think I've got my broom."

Charlie grinned as she carried her broom to the front register. Her mum met her there and paid for the broom, placing it in her own bag when they left.

"Now, we need to get you your owl and eat lunch. Any particular order you want that in?" Wren asked Anna as they walked down the cobblestone path.

Anna glanced at the twins, who raised their brows expectantly. "Well, I'd really like to get my owl, if that's alright."

Molly and Wren exchanged a glance and a smile.

"Well, if you'd like I still need to get a few more supplies for the kids, Potion ingredients and things like that. I could pick those up for Anna as well while you go get the owl." Molly suggested.

Wren eyed Molly for a moment, knowing the other witch loved helping. "I suppose that'd be alright. Here's some money for Anna's things and her list. If you're sure." she added at the last second, in case Molly changed her mind.

"Oh, of course I'm sure. Go on. How about we meet at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch after we've got everything?"

"Sounds good." Wren answered with a smile.

"Mum, can we go with Anna and her mum, please?" Fred and George asked together hopefully. Picking out an owl with their friend sounded much more fun than getting potion ingredients with _Percy_.

"Well…" Molly seemed hesitant, but Wren quickly told her she'd be fine having the twins tag along.

"Oh,…very well, but behave yourselves." Molly ordered sternly, "Charlie, would you like to go with them?" she asked, looking to her second oldest. While her voice was sweet, her eyes told him he better keep his brothers out of mischief.

Charlie smiled. "Sure, I wouldn't mind."

So, Wren, Annabelle, and three of the Weasley boys headed off to Eeylops Owl Emporium. It was a moderate-sized shop with cages of owls hanging out front, and front glass windows. When they entered, there were even more cages containing owls hanging from shelves and hooks, owls from Screech Owls that fit in someone's palm to Snowy Owls that were bigger than a quaffle.

"Whoa." Anna muttered as she looked around the shop. There were owls everywhere, screeching and flapping their wings. And she noticed there was a charmed broom sweeping feathers off the ground under the cages, and a charmed mop cleaning up the many droppings. She quickly noted she needed to watch where she stepped.

She approached a nearby cage containing a Tawny Owl, which looked rather cute and fluffy. She stuck her finger up to the cage bars and the little owl poked its beak up and nibbled lightly on her finger in a greeting. Just as she started to smile, a loud screech echoed from the cage next to her.

Anna jumped and looked at the larger cage hanging on the hook next to her. There was a beautiful Barn Owl in the cage, looking her over with shining, black eyes. Her face, belly, and legs were a pure white, which faded into a golden color mixed with grey on her head, back, and wings.

Anna found herself drawn to the beautiful bird, approaching the cage slowly. The owl stared her right in the eye, refusing to break eye contact as she approached.

"Hello, there. You're a beautiful owl, aren't you?" Anna spoke quietly to the bird, who seemed to puff up her chest at the compliment.

Anna raised her finger to the cage bars, holding it just outside in case the bird tried to snap at her. The owl leaned down to poke its beak through the bars, nibbling very lightly on Anna's finger. Seeing that the bird seemed friendly, Anna stuck her finger through the bars and gently stroked the soft feathers on her cheek. The owl leaned her head to the side so Anna could have easier access, and her black eyes squinted in what appeared to be bliss.

"I'd be careful with that one, if I were you." a young man in a uniform walked by, glancing nervously at the bird Anna was petting. "She can be a bit snappy."

Anna looked him over and noticed he had a few bandages on his hands and fingers. Charlie and the twins arrived then, and seemed to look the bird over.

"She seems nice enough." Charlie commented, holding his finger to the bars. The owl nibbled briefly on his finger before going back to Anna, urging her to continue petting her.

"Well, on your head be it." the employee warned before walking away. Anna noticed he banged on the cage of a particularly loud owl, telling it to shut up.

"Well, maybe if he wasn't so rude to the owls, they'd be nicer. You were just giving him what he deserves, weren't you?" Anna cooed at the owl. The bird straightened her back and screeched, the shape of her beak almost making it look like she was smiling.

"I take it you found the owl you're looking for." her mum commented as she approached. "She is very beautiful." Wren commented as she looked the owl over, "Hopefully, her and Helena won't hate each other."

"If they do, we'll just have to keep them apart. Besides, my owl will be at Hogwarts with me most of the year." Anna pointed out. "So, can we get her?"

"You're buying your owl, remember? It's up to you." Wren answered with a smile.

So, Anna took the cage off the hook and carried it up to the front counter, where she paid 10 Galleons for her owl and 6 Sickles for a bag of owl treats.

Finished with their shopping, they headed to the Leaky Cauldron to have lunch. Molly and Percy joined them about five minutes later.

When Tom asked for their orders, Anna ordered a sandwich, which she shared the crust of with her new owl, who accepted the food eagerly. When she was eating, the owl was sitting in her cage, completely at ease, her head turning and eyes scanning the pub curiously. Anna got the sense she hadn't seen much outside of the Owl Emporium.

The two families sat and ate their lunch for a couple hours, talking about anything they could think of and putting off leaving as long as they could. Finally, Molly announced she needed to get home and start on dinner. So, they went their separate ways for the summer, eager to see each other again on September 1st at Kings Cross Station.


	12. Start of a New Year

"You're sure you've got everything?" Wren asked as they weaved through the crowd at Kings Cross Station.

"Yes, Mum." Anna answered for the tenth time that morning, pushing her trolley that contained her luggage, school supplies, and the cage with her owl. She'd spent the last few weeks of summer trying to come up with a name for her owl, reading her history textbook and some of her mum's old books for name ideas. She'd managed to narrow it down to a few names, but she wasn't sure which to choose. Maybe she was a bit of a perfectionist, but she wanted to pick the perfect name, since her owl would have the name her whole life.

Mother and daughter ran through the wall between platforms 9 and 10, stepping onto the platform and approaching the train. Anna ignored the gleaming, red train; her eyes looking for a different red.

Finally, she spotted who she was looking for and tugged on her mother's sleeve. Wren followed her daughter's eyes and shook her head in amusement. It was easy to see Anna was very attached to most of the Weasley family.

Anna pushed her heavy trolley, leading her mum through the crowd. She stopped her trolley a few feet away and snuck up behind one of the twins, she wasn't sure which one it was since she could only see the back of their heads.

She met Charlie's eyes briefly before she leapt on the twin's back. He lurched in surprise, one hand going to her arm, and the other under her leg, which was wrapped around his waist.

George laughed at the look on his twin's face when Anna jumped on his back.

"Hi." Anna greeted simply, resting her chin on Fred's shoulder. Fred looked back at her and laughed.

"Hi." he said back before letting her hop off his back.

"Anna, is that any way to greet your friends?" Wren asked teasingly.

"Yes. Yes it is." Anna answered seriously before cracking a smile.

The kids said goodbye to their parents, as well as Ron and Ginny, who pouted as their older brothers climbed on the train. Charlie made sure to help the younger three drag their trolleys onto the train before leaving them to find a compartment. They quickly found an empty one and put their luggage up on the top, above their seats.

The door to the compartment was suddenly pushed open. "Hey guys." Angelina greeted them as she and Alicia Spinnet entered the compartment with their things.

The twins and Anna greeted them as well before the twins, being the gentlemen they are, helped lift the girls' things onto the rack above their own seats.

"Did you have a good summer?" Alicia asked as Lee entered and put his things away.

"Fairly uneventful until my mum and me met up with the Weasleys in Diagon Alley." Anna answered as the twins sat next to her.

"Whose owl?" Lee asked, pointing to the Barn Owl in the cage at Anna's feet.

"Mine." Anna answered with a smile, scratching the owl's head through the top of the cage.

"What's it's name?" Angelina asked.

"Still deciding." Anna admitted.

"What? You bought her three weeks ago!" the twins exclaimed.

"I've narrowed it down, I just want to make sure I've picked a good name." Anna defended herself.

"Well, what've you got? Come on. We can help you pick a name." Lee suggested.

Anna chewed her lip thoughtfully as she continued to scratch the top of her owl's head. "Well,…one of them is Azalea, for the flower. I noticed some of them are white that kind of fade into another color, and it looks a bit like what her feathers do." she answered, "Another name I like is Ariel, because it means 'lion of God' in Hebrew, which is fitting for Gryffindor, the House of lions, and all. And the last name I've got is Astrid. It means strength, but I really just like the name, I guess. I'm not sure."

"That is a tough choice. I kinda like all three." Alicia answered.

"I really like the first two." Ang admitted, watching the owl curiously.

"What's she like personality-wise? That can help a lot when picking a name." Alicia suggested.

"Well, she's very…proud." Anna admitted with a smile, "She knows she's pretty. And if someone gives her an attitude, she's not afraid to snap at them. One of the employees at the Emporium in Diagon didn't seem to like her much, and he had bandages on his hand and fingers, so I'm assuming she snapped at him quite a few times. Though, in her defense, I saw him hitting another owl's cage while we were there, telling the owl to shut up. So, I can't really blame her for not liking that guy."

The others laughed, particularly Fred and George, who had actually witnessed what she was talking about.

"She doesn't seem to mind other owls, for the most part. I don't think she liked my mum's owl when we first brought her home. Helena's a very friendly owl and kinda got in her face a bit when they first met. She didn't seem to like that. But after a couple nights, Helena seemed to realize that and backed off a bit." Anna laughed, "Then, the other night I went into my room to get ready for bed and found them both sleeping next to each other on my headboard."

Everyone laughed again, while the owl in question began preening her feathers.

"So, she's friendly, as long as you don't insult her or get on her bad side." George summed up.

"Where'd your mum get the name for her owl?" Lee asked curiously.

Anna thought for a moment. "I think Helena was a famous Ravenclaw, maybe even a descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw. Something like that, I'm not sure."

They talked a bit more on the subject, and Anna had a few more good points on deciding what to name her owl, before they moved on to other topics, such as summer holidays, Quidditch, and the Sorting Ceremony.

Finally, after hours of being on the train, they got out at Hogsmeade. Instead of following Hagrid to the boats like they had the year before, as little first years, they followed all the older students to a long line of carriages that seemed to pull themselves. Anna didn't mention it as she climbed on with her friends, but Hagrid had told her the year before that the carriages were pulled by Thestrals. It just seemed like nothing pulled the carriages because only those who have witnessed death can see the animals. Anna had an idea what they looked like because Hagrid had shown her and Charlie a sketch of one.

They arrived at the castle quicker than they had in the boats, and Anna followed the twins down the Gryffindor table to sit near the end, where the first years would most likely sit.

When the first years were brought in, Fred, George, and Lee started making bets on certain first years, like which house they'd be sorted in, or if they'd pass out.

One of the first girls to be sorted, and the first to be placed in Gryffindor, was a girl named Katie Bell. Anna gave her a friendly smile when she sat next to her.

Several others were placed in Gryffindor, though Anna didn't pay much attention to their names. One kid, some McLaggen, seemed a bit snobbish to her, talking about his parents' jobs in the Ministry like they were the Minister himself.

"Um, I'm Katie Bell. What's your name?" Katie asked Anna, after the Sorting, once the feast was served.

"I'm Annabelle Black, but my friends typically call me Anna." she answered with a smile before scooping food onto her plate.

"Oh." Katie went quiet for a moment before striking up conversation with Angelina and Alicia.

XXX

A few days later, Anna snorted into her dinner when a Slytherin cut into a roast, causing the dungbombs her and the twins planted inside to go off. Several people screamed or jumped away from the table, flailing about or plugging their noses.

Everyone but the Slytherins, and a few teachers, seemed to find this utterly hilarious.

Fred and George high-fived Anna under the table on either side of her. Katie Bell, who was sitting on George's other side, saw this.

"Did you guys do that?" she asked, looking between the twins.

Anna, Fred, and George gave her mischievous smirks. "We have no idea what you're talking about." Fred answered, sounding not-so-innocent.

XXX

On the second week of the year, Anna and the twins tried out for the Quidditch team and made it, along with Angelina. Alicia made it as a reserve Chaser. A couple older students who didn't make the team, because frankly they sucked, tried claiming Charlie was picking favorites since he chose his younger brothers. But it was clear to anyone with half a brain that the twins were just amazing Beaters.

Anna wrote to her mum about making the team using her owl, which she had decided to name Ariel. After sending the owl out one of the common room windows, Anna joined Charlie for a visit to Hagrid's hut before they started getting piled on with too much homework. Charlie already had a mountain of school work and was preparing for NEWTs, on top of being Quidditch Captain and a prefect.

"'ello Anna! Charlie! I was wonderin' when yeh'd drop by." Hagrid greeted them outside his hut, where he was chopping something.

"Yeah, things have been pretty hectic for me this year." Charlie admitted, "Oh, and Anna has something to share." he added with a smirk at the second year, who turned red.

"I, um, made the Quidditch team." she admitted shyly.

"Well, tha's wonderful news!" Hagrid boomed excitedly, pausing in what he was doing, "I'd give yeh a hug, but I doubt yeh'd thank me for it." he added, looking down at himself. Sure enough, he had blood on his hands and coat.

"What, exactly, are you doing?" Anna asked.

"Choppin' up dinner fer Fluffy."

" _Fluffy_?" Anna and Charlie asked together.

"Oh, tha's righ'. You two haven't met Fluffy." Hagrid remembered. "Well, we can go see 'im when I've got this done."

It looked like he was chopping up a deer or something, and Anna wondered what on earth could eat a whole deer for dinner. She also wondered why 'Fluffy' was a boy.

When Hagrid finished chopping up whatever animal that was, he piled it up and carried it like firewood a little ways into the woods behind his hut. There, they found a large pen with a rather tall fence and a small shed off to one side. When they approached it, Anna saw that the head of a sleeping, brown dog was just poking out of the entrance to the shed.

"Fluffy!" Hagrid called when they stopped near the fence.

The dog's head shot up, and to Anna and Charlie's surprise, two more identical heads poked out on either side of the first. At the sight of the three people, the 'dog' leapt to it's feet and bolted toward them.

Anna stared, her mouth hanging open as the _three-headed dog_ ran toward them with a booming bark that put Fang's to shame. When the dog reached the fence, it jumped up and was able to put its front paws on the fence's second rail from the top. It was a bit chubby in the belly with large paws and stubby legs.

"'ere yeh go, yeh big lug." Hagrid chuckled, tossing the meat into the enclosure. Fluffy practically pounced on the largest piece and began tearing into it, the different heads occasionally snapping at each other as they fought over the food.

"When'd you get this little guy?" Charlie asked in amusement, crossing his arms as he leaned on the fence.

"Bought him just over the summer, off a Greek chappie at the Leaky Cauldron." Hagrid answered. "An' he won't be so little for long."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked curiously, having to duck to look between the top two fence rails. She didn't know why Charlie called him little, he was about the same size as Fang.

"He's only a couple months old." Hagrid answered as if it were obvious.

Anna and Charlie's heads snapped around to stare at Hagrid in shock.

"Are you serious?"

"How big is he going to get?" Anna demanded.

"Well,…I think they grow to be at leas' 3 meters tall, sometimes 4, but they're pretty rare, so it's hard to say."

Anna's mouth fell open. Hagrid sure had some interesting pets.

XXX

Anna was curled up on the common room couch late one night doing last minute homework. With Quidditch practice three times a week, she frequently found herself up late at night working on class assignments. At least she wasn't as bad as the twins, who often put it off until the night before, or morning of, the assignment being due.

She heard footsteps stop next to her and looked up. There were several students spread out across the room working on their own homework.

Katie Bell was standing next to her, looking around curiously.

"Looking for someone?" Anna asked curiously.

Katie jumped and looked down sheepishly. "Um, well, I was just wondering where your friends were, I guess. Like, the twins and Angelina and Alicia."

"Oh. Not sure about the girls, but the twins are in detention. They may have gotten into a bit of trouble for trapping Mrs. Norris in a Vanishing Cabinet." Anna admitted with a smile.

"Really?" Katie's eyes went wide. "I…I'm kinda surprised you weren't in on it." she admitted shyly.

Anna couldn't helping smirking. "I'm much better at getting away." she joked. Katie's lips twitched, but she still looked a bit uncomfortable. Anna looked up at her and finally decided to be blunt. "Do you not like me?"

Katie's eyes went wide. "No, I…well, it's not that I don't like you, it's just…"

Anna looked up at her, waiting for a response.

Finally, Katie took a deep breath before speaking. "It's just that…you're a Black…"

Anna sighed, looking back down at her school work. "Oh. That. Well, you wouldn't be the first person to hate me over my last name."

Katie's eyes went wide. "No, it's just that,…my parents kinda drilled it into my head to be cautious of people with…well, pureblood obsession and all that. I've lost a few family members who went against You-Know-Who in the war, and well…with you being a Black…"

"You thought my parents were Death Eaters." Anna answered without looking up.

"Well,…maybe not Death Eaters, but…supporters of that kind of stuff." Katie admitted.

"Well, you're wrong." Anna answered, finally looking up at the first year. "It's the opposite, in fact. I'm a halfblood, myself. My dad got disowned in his teens, my mum's a halfblood, and her dad's a muggle. I have no preference for blood statuses, I don't hate muggleborns, I don't think muggles are abominations, and I don't think purebloods are superior. To me, a witch is a witch, and a wizard is a wizard. We're all people. The only thing that matters to me is personality and how you treat others."

Katie stared at Anna for a few moments before saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't…I didn't realize-"

"It's fine." Anna smiled, "You're not the first to think that."

"Still." Katie didn't look reassured as she sat on the couch next to Anna. "You think…maybe we could be friends?" she asked quietly.

Anna smiled. "I'd like that."

XXX

Anna took a deep breath trying to calm down. Her hands were shaking too much to pull her hair into a ponytail, so she closed her eyes and made her hair tie itself into a ponytail. The focus took her mind off the fast approaching Quidditch match for a few seconds.

"You okay?" George asked, sitting on the bench of the locker room next to her. Fred, who was sitting on the floor in front of them, leaned his head on Anna's knee, tilting his head back to see her.

"Nervous." she admitted.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Fred assured her.

"We'll make sure no Bludgers hit you." George promised cheekily.

Anna chuckled. "You better."

Charlie stepped up in front of them with Oliver Wood, the fourth year Keeper, at his side.

"Alright, guys. This is it. Our first match of the year, and it's against Slytherin. I know this is a first match for a lot of you, but it's not that different from practice...just keep in mind that Slytherin like to play dirty."

"'Cause that's the only way they can score any points." Marina, a seventh year Chaser pointed out, which made the others chuckle.

Charlie laughed with a nod. "Fair point. So, just remember what we practiced, and you'll do fine."

With the speech out of the way, Anna grabbed her broom and followed the rest of the team out of the tent. Ang and Anna briefly gripped each others' hand in support before they mounted their brooms on the field.

They hovered in a ragged circle with the Slytherin team above the crate and Madam Hooch. The referee gave them a warning to play a fair, clean game before releasing the balls.

Anna swooped in with the other Chasers when the Quaffle was released. She slammed into a Slytherin Chaser, allowing Angelina to grab the Quaffle and head down the field toward the goal posts. Most members of both teams followed her; Gryffindor to back her up, and Slytherin most likely to take her down.

Angelina threw the Quaffle, but it was blocked by the Slytherin Keeper, Bletchley. A Slytherin Chaser nabbed it from the air and swept down the pitch toward the Gryffindor goals. Anna sped past the rest of her team to try and help Wood if he needed it.

Wood easily blocked the shot with a kick, sending the ball right to Anna, who caught it with one hand. She spun around, and barely managed to duck a Bludger that was aimed for her face. She felt the breeze it left in her hair when it zoomed past. Shaking, Anna bolted forward, zigzagging past all the Slytherins that tried to get in her way. Several of her team mates flew in and blocked a couple of the Slytherins to help her get past.

Marcus Flint, the Captain and one of the Chasers, flew in next to her and threw his fist at her. Anna managed to take the hit to her shoulder instead of her face, where he was aiming. He slammed into her with his whole body, nearly knocking her off her broom, when suddenly a Bludger flew by and smacked him in the head. He swerved off course and suddenly Fred was flying next to her.

"You okay?" he called, beating another Bludger away from them with his bat.

"Yeah." Anna called, speeding up. She reached the goal and swerved to one side, catching the Keeper off guard and scoring the first goal of the game.

The game continued back and forth, and Marina hadn't been kidding when she said the only way for Slytherin to score was if they played dirty. And they _did_ play dirty. Hitting Chasers with Beaters' bats, knocking them into the stands, aiming Bludgers for their heads…it was brutal.

An hour into the game it was tied 50 to 50, but Gryffindor had to fight to get to that. And there'd only been a glimpse of the Snitch so far. Charlie tried to go after it but was hit in the chest by a Bludger to prevent it.

Marina managed to steal the Quaffle from a Slytherin and passed it to Ang, who passed it to Anna, who sped back toward the Slytherin goal. She was nearly there when a Slytherin Beater smacked a Bludger toward her.

Anna ducked to one side, narrowly dodging the Bludger, however she ended up spinning and hanging upside down on her broom. The Quaffle slipped from her hand and a Slytherin caught it, racing back toward the other end and scoring another 10 points for Slytherin.

The Commentator mentioned something about the Snitch, so Anna righted herself on her broom and looked around in time to see Charlie and the Slytherin Seeker racing for the Golden Snitch. It looked really close, they were neck and neck.

A loud crack broke through the noise as a Slytherin Beater sent the Bludger toward the two Seekers. Charlie managed to duck it, only for the Bludger to smack the Slytherin Seeker in the side, but not before he managed to snag the Snitch from the air.

Most of the crowd groaned as Slytherin was announced the winner, 210 to 50.

Anna sighed in disappointment as she allowed her broom to float toward the ground. The twins landed near her, looking as disappointed as her. The rest of the Gryffindor team landed and silently started for the locker room.

"Alright, so we lost," Charlie commented as they reached the quiet locker room, "but it could've gone much worse. I mean,…Anna. It was your first time playing for real and you scored the first goal of the match." he turned and gestured to her. Anna blushed and shrugged silently. "And Angelina, you scored nearly half our goals and stole the Quaffle from right under Flint's nose." Angelina smiled, looking proud despite her disappointment at losing.

Fred and George looked eager to hear what they would be praised for, their chests puffing out with their bats slung over their shoulders, "I don't really need to praise you two," Charlie teased, "but you both did a smashing job as Beaters. We'll do better next time, I'm sure. Slytherin's always tough to beat."


	13. Adventures in the Dark Forest

"This is bloody brilliant." Lee commented as he came out of the trap door and into Honeydukes' cellar behind Fred. George and Anna quickly followed him. They'd just shown Lee the Marauders' Map earlier that day, and he was eager to see the passage to Honeydukes. So, it was decided that a sweets trip was in order. They would show him the rest of the secret passageways another day. For now, they were just going to grab a few of their favorite treats and then head back to the boys' dormitory to work on homework together.

They grabbed a few Chocolate Frogs, Exploding Bonbons, Sugar Quills, and Treacle Fudge. Anna left some money on one of the boxes in the cellar as they were leaving, and hurried after the boys into the trap door.

"We're so going there again." Lee told them as they crawled back through the tunnel.

XXX

"I really think this is a horrible, _horrible_ idea." Anna whispered as she followed her red-haired companions across the dark grounds of Hogwarts castle.

"Then, go back to bed." George answered simply.

"You two practically dragged me out here." she hissed.

"No we didn't." Fred answered, his wand held in front of him with the tip lit up.

"We can't go up the girls' stairs without it turning into a slide." George added, "You could've easily stayed in bed and been none the wiser to our plans."

"I was just about to go up to bed, and then you two tell me you're going to sneak into the Forbidden Forest." Anna snapped, "Of course I was going to come with you. It's dangerous."

"I'm fairly certain most of the rumors about what's in there are fake."

"Probably the Professors trying to scare students away from the forest." the twins assured her.

"Hagrid's always warning me to avoid getting too close to the edge of the forest after nightfall. He's a half-Giant, and if _he's_ scared of something in there, then I think it's safe to assume we shouldn't be going in there." Anna pointed out, getting more and more anxious as the trees grew closer and closer.

"Oh, quit being a worrywart."

"You sound like Percy."

Anna's mouth fell open and she stared at the back of Fred's head in offense. "I do _not_!" she argued.

George snorted. "Okay, yeah, that was a bit too far, Freddie. No one's as bad as that prat."

"What do you two want that's in there, anyway?" she asked, hurrying so she was walking between them instead of behind.

They both shrugged and began taking turns listing things off.

"Adventure."

"Acromantula venom."

"Acromantula webs."

"Maybe see a centaur."

"Or a Unicorn."

"Or a werewolf."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...slow down. One, I could easily show you a Unicorn, Hagrid has several nearby. Two, I don't think the centaurs like people going into their forest. Three, werewolves will kill you or turn you into one of their kind. And four, what the bloody hell do you want _Acromantula venom_ for?"

Fred and George grinned at each other in amusement. "But that defeats the main reason for us going into the forest in the first place."

 _"Adventure."_

Anna rolled her eyes, but kept one hand in her bathrobe pocket, holding her wand just in case.

They finally reached the tree line and the twins walked confidently into the dark woods. Anna hesitated for a second before hurrying after them. They walked for a few minutes in silence. Anna jumped at any little sound, like an owl hooting or a twig snapping. While the twins seemed to be growing bored, she was so tense her muscles were starting to ache.

"It's not even that scary in here. Where's that Gryffindor courage, Anna?" George asked after she jumped for the eighth time.

Anna glared ahead of her, bitterness bubbling in her stomach. "Thanks, just remind me I'm in the wrong house." she muttered under her breath.

The twins didn't seemed to hear her though as Fred approached something off to the side.

"Fred?" George asked curiously.

"Look at this." Fred whispered, pulling something off a tree. Anna and George moved closer and saw that he'd found a rather large piece of spider web. It looked at least a few feet long, and the threading appeared thicker than a normal spider's.

The twins exchanged excited looks before hurrying deeper into the forest.

"Guys, I really think this is a bad idea." Anna called, hesitant to follow her friends any farther into the forest. But they ignored her and hurried over a small hill. Anna paused for a moment when she heard a twig snap. She glanced around, but when she looked back in front of her, the twins were gone.

Nervous, Anna hurried over the hill they were on, but she still couldn't find them.

"Guys?" she called. Hearing no response, she called a bit louder, "Fred? George!"

There was suddenly a surprised shout, followed a second later by a flash of light. Anna moved to follow it, but movement above her made her look up.

She screamed and stumbled back a few steps as a giant spider the size of Fang climbed down a tree toward her. She pulled her wand out and aimed it at the spider, hesitant to actually hit it. The spider was very still for a moment, before it suddenly shot webbing at her.

Anna lurched to the side, barely missing getting hit by the webbing. Spinning on her toes, she turned and raced through the forest, trying to get away from the giant spider. She wanted to find the twins, but she didn't know where to look.

"Guys?!" she tried calling, but got no response as she ran, zigzagging between trees.

Seeing something up ahead, she skidded to a stop, but the wet mud made her slide and fall back on her butt. She stared, unsure what to do.

Standing in front of her was a pack of wolves. There looked to be about four, but when they moved closer to her she saw a fifth one that was pitch black step out of the shadows. Two of them were gray, one was white, and one was brown.

Realizing they were moving toward her, Anna scooted as far back as she could until her back hit a tree trunk. She studied the wolves closely, wondering if they were werewolves. She didn't think they were, since she'd recently learned about them in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Werewolves had longer snouts and looked more, well, human. These just looked like normal wolves.

The wolf in the front continued moving closer to Anna while the rest hung back, watching closely. When it stepped into the moonlight, Anna was momentarily mesmerized. It was very beautiful. Its snout and ears were dark gray that faded into a light gray over most of its body, though its belly looked nearly white. When it stopped in front of Anna, she noticed it had dark blue eyes.

"Please don't hurt me." Anna whispered, hoping desperately it would understand, "I don't mean to cause any trouble, I just got separated from my friends. I'm lost."

Maybe she was crazy, but she could've sworn the wolf understood. Its eyes seemed far too intelligent for an animal. Almost human.

The wolf slowly nodded it's head, much to Anna surprise. Then, it turned its head and huffed at the other wolves. This caused two of the wolves, the white one and a gray one, to turn and run into the trees. Then, the wolf turned back to Anna and nudged her side.

It stepped back and started to walk away, only to look back at Anna. To her surprise, it nodded its head in the direction they were going, as if gesturing for her to follow. Slowly, Anna pushed off the tree trunk and stood up, her wand still in one hand. She followed the wolf while the other two seemed to flank her.

They walked for a few minutes before a long, low howl erupted from up ahead. The wolves' ears perked and they changed direction just enough to follow the sound, while the brown wolf let out a howl in response.

They walked a bit farther before they suddenly stopped. Anna nearly ran into the wolf in front of her in surprise. They all stood there for a moment, the wolves' ears twitching and heads tilting to the side. Suddenly, the three wolves turned and bolted into the trees.

Anna's head snapped around, wondering what had scared them off, and if she should follow them. Before she could, however, something large stepped out from between two trees ahead.

"Are you Annabelle?" a deep voice asked in the darkness, causing Anna to tense.

"Depends who's asking." she answered shakily.

The being stepped out of the shadows, revealing a centaur with white skin, red hair and a beard, and the horse part of his body was chestnut.

"I am Ronan. I believe we found some of your friends." he answered, gesturing behind him. Two more centaurs stepped forward, nudging two familiar redheads ahead of them.

Sighing in relief, Anna bolted forward and threw her arms around the twins, who hugged her back just as tightly. When she pulled back, however, she smacked their heads together.

"Ow!" they shouted, holding their heads in pain.

"I told you idiots coming into the forest was stupid." she scolded them.

"And we should probably be getting you foals back to Hogwarts." announced a centaur with white-blonde hair and a palomino body that nearly glowed in the darkness.

"Take them to Hagrid's hut, Firenze. I don't want anymore _humans_ in my forest." the other centaur, one with a chestnut coat, ordered.

"They're just foals, Magorian. They don't pose a threat." Firenze told him even as he began herding the three kids in a certain direction.

Magorian didn't comment, merely snorting as he turned and headed into a different direction.

As the two remaining centaurs lead the children through the forest, Anna glanced back and forth between the twins.

"If we get expelled for this, I'm going to hang you both upside down and put a permanent tickling charm on you until you suffocate from laughing too much."

The twins snorted, but didn't comment as they left the forest. Anna was surprised how close they'd been to the edge of the trees.

Ronan and Firenze lead them to Hagrid's hut and knocked loudly on the front door. Fang started barking loudly from inside and there were a few crashes and curses before a light turned on inside. Suddenly, the door swung open and a crossbow was pointed in Anna's face.

"Whoa!" the twins shouted in surprise, taking a step back.

"Anna?" Hagrid asked in surprise, lowering his crossbow and taking a good look at his guests. "Ronan? Firenze? Wha-?"

"Evening, Hagrid." Ronan dipped his head in greeting. "We've found a few Hogwarts students wandering the forest and thought we'd deliver them safely to you."

"The for- Annabelle! What are yeh thinkin' goin' into the fores' like tha'! I've warned yeh to be careful of tha' place!"

"I didn't want to…they did." she answered, pointing at the twins, "I just went to make sure they didn't die."

"And then you got lost." George muttered.

"Just 'cause _I_ didn't want to go looking for giant spiders." she retorted.

Hagrid cleared his throat to shut them up, and quickly thanked the centaurs for bringing them back safe. Anna and the twins were hoping that'd be the end of it. Unfortunately, they were very wrong.

Hagrid marched them up to the castle and to Professor McGonagall's office. She answered the banging on her door in a green bathrobe, her black hair in a braid. She didn't quite look like she'd gone to sleep yet, as it wasn't midnight yet.

"Hagrid! What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, taking in the scuffed and muddy look of the three students lined up in front of the gamekeeper.

"Sorry to bother yeh, Minerva. But these three were wanderin' about in the forest. Couple a centaurs brought 'em to my hut."

"The forest?!" she yelled, looking down at the three in shock and anger. "And just _what_ did the three of you hope to accomplish in the Dark Forest? You know very well it's forbidden to students."

Anna glared pointedly at the twins, who looked down at their shoes.

"Well, um…"

"You see…"

McGonagall glared at them, lips pursed and face nearly red in anger. "I'll be taking 100 points from Gryffindor for this little escapade."

Anna's mouth fell open, and she could see the twins had similar reactions from the corner of her eye.

"And you'll be joining me for detention for a week starting tomorrow night, since you seem to have no need for sleep." McGonagall continued. "Now, off to your dormitories, the three of you." she ordered, ushering them down the hall.

The three climbed silently in through the portrait hole and paused in the dark common room, looking at each other.

"So,…" George started.

"That went well." Fred shrugged.

Anna glared at them. "I hate you two."

XXX

Of course, Annabelle couldn't stay mad at the twins for long. They ended up nicking some of her favorite candies from Honeydukes, and she found class and meals too quiet and boring without them. Their brothers, Charlie and Percy, however, were not pleased with the fact that they'd lost 100 points for Gryffindor, putting their house in last place. And Mrs. Weasley wasn't pleased, either. She sent the twins a Howler the next morning at breakfast, having received a notice from McGonagall.

Anna did whatever she could in the weeks following their little adventure to make up for their lost points, even going so far as to raise her hand and answer questions in class to earn a few extra points for her house. By the time Christmas holidays arrived, Anna had managed to earn 50 points for her house all on her own.

 **XXX**

 **Sorry this was so uneventful, but let me know what you all thought of their little adventure in the Dark Forest.**


	14. Going Away Party

Annabelle and Wren spent Christmas at her grandparents' house, with the whole of her mum's family.

Her grandma Ethel, a halfblood, had met Winthrop Bourke, a muggle, when she was in her mid-twenties. They 'courted' as they liked to say for a few years before Ethel gathered the courage to tell Winthrop about being a witch. He took it rather well and now he fit in decently in the wizarding community whenever he went on shopping trips with Ethel, just as she fit in rather well among muggles.

A few years after they married, they had their daughter Kendra, Wren's older sister, who was also a Ravenclaw. Right after she graduated Hogwarts in 1972, she got a job in the Ministry where she eventually met Colton Drake.

Colton was a halfblood who was in Slytherin in Hogwarts, but he was surprisingly decent to have belonged in the house of snakes. He was determined, as are most Slytherins, but he cared very little for blood status. He merely worked hard to get what he wanted, which lead to him gaining high status at the Ministry very quickly.

Colton and Kendra married in 1982 and had Audra in 1984 and Wilson three years later.

From what her mum had told Anna, her parents and sister were disappointed when Wren told them she was pregnant, seeing as she would be having her baby fresh out of school, which would make it very difficult for her to get a decent career. Even though she never said it, Anna got the feeling her Aunt Kendra had always been the 'favorite' daughter. Getting good marks, being Head Girl in her seventh year, getting a good job before getting married and having kids. Not that her grandparents would ever play clear favorites, it was just a suspicion.

"Anna! Wake up!" two annoying, high-pitched voices screamed in Anna's ears before she was ready to wake up. She jolted awake when the earth suddenly started jolting up and down.

"Wha-" she stopped and looked around with bleary eyes. Audra and Wilson, six and three years old respectively, had been jumping up and down on her bed in her grandparents' guest room.

"Wake up! It's Christmas!" Wilson shouted before jumping off the bed and running from the room yelling at everyone to wake up.

Anna threw her covers off and hurried after her cousins, down the stairs and to the living room where there was a giant Christmas tree.

"Look at all the presents!" Wilson screamed, picking one up and shaking it.

"Wilson, don't open any until everyone's down here." Aunt Kendra told him sternly, entering the room with a silk bathrobe tied around her slender waist. She had green eyes, like Wren, but her hair was a darker shade of brown, which was just past her shoulders. Wilson had her eyes and nose, but his dad's black hair; while Audra had blue eyes like her dad and golden brown hair, which she got from their grandma Ethel.

Wilson pouted at his mother and tossed the present back under the tree. Anna loved her cousins, as much as she could, but she knew they could be a _tiny_ bit spoiled.

Finally, Grandma Ethel and Wren made tea and everyone sat around the Christmas tree. Audra and Wilson instantly found theirs and started ripping them open. Anna shook her head at them and picked up a present near her. Seeing that it was for her grandpa, she turned and handed it to him before grabbing another present.

Seeing her name on it, Anna ripped the paper open.

She ended up getting a new robe from her Aunt and Uncle, mittens and new quills from her grandparents, and new pajamas from her mum.

"This one's for you." Wilson grumbled when he picked up another large present, only to see his cousin's name on it.

"Thank you." Anna thanked him as she took it, wondering who it was from. She'd already received presents from most of her family.

She read the name tag and smiled. It said, 'To: Anna; From: the Weasleys'. It felt like multiple presents wrapped into a large bundle. She ripped the paper off and, sure enough, there were three separately-wrapped presents.

She opened the one from the twins, first, and shook her head with a smile. Ever since their first adventure into the Dark Forest, she refused to go back into the forest, unless with Hagrid and Charlie. The twins, on the other hand, made a few more trips, though not in the middle of the night. She had the suspicion they felt bad leaving her out, even if she had no desire to join them. Her present from them was a piece of parchment with several items pressed into it. One was a black flower, which grow in the forest. Another was a tuft of what looked like grey fur, and it made her think of the wolf pack she saw, which she told no one about. Another was a piece of spider web, which she was surprised was still in one piece.

Shaking her head, she moved on to open Charlie's present next and found a bag of owl treats for Ariel as well as some Sugar Quills. She was happy to see the owl treats because she was nearly out and forgot to buy more when her mum took her to Diagon Alley at the start of Christmas holiday. Ariel loved them, even though she preferred to eat something from Anna's plate when she delivered her mail.

Putting those to the side, she moved on to the last present. She couldn't think of which Weasley would get her a present besides the twins and Charlie, but to her surprise it was from Molly Weasley, their mother. Curious, Anna ripped the wrapping paper off and found a knitted scarlet jumper with a gold-colored number '4' on the front, which was Anna's Quidditch number. It looked very similar in design to the jumpers she'd seen the twins and Charlie wearing, and remembered Fred telling her that their mum knitted all of them a jumper for Christmas every year. Of course, those jumpers were one plain color with nothing on the front as far as she had seen.

Smiling, Anna pulled the jumper over her head over her pajama T-shirt. It was very soft and warm and a perfect fit, in her opinion. Just big enough to be loose and comfy. And the color perfectly matched Gryffindor's colors.

"What'd you get?" Wren asked, moving to sit on the ground next to her daughter.

Anna showed her mum her presents as she explained. "I got this from the twins, owl treats and Sugar Quills from Charlie, and this jumper from their mum."

Wren smiled as she looked at everything, picking up the parchment from the twins to get a better look. "That's very sweet."

"What's that?" Audra asked, looking at the parchment with her nose wrinkled.

Anna eyed her cousin for a moment. "A present from my friends."

"What kind of present is a wrinkled parchment with a dead flower and hair?" she asked in disgust.

"It's…a souvenir of some of their adventures." Anna answered carefully.

"Your jumper looks…interesting, Annabelle. Who's it from?" Aunt Kendra asked from her spot on the couch, Colton's arm around her shoulders.

"My friends' mum. I think she made it."

"She did." Wren answered with a smile, looking the jumper over herself and feeling the loose fabric of the sleeve between her fingers. "I remember Molly started that tradition when the twins were born. It amazes me how many of those she knits every year, especially with how fast all you kids grow."

Anna smiled and hugged her new jumper closer to herself. It was officially her favorite bit of clothing in the world.

XXX

"Incendio." Katie Bell aimed her wand at the empty fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, but nothing happened. She sighed tiredly.

"You're pronouncing it a bit wrong." Anna told her gently. "You emphasize the 'sen' part of the spell. In- _sen_ -dio. And you're waving your wand in a circle. The movement's a bit more like this." Anna explained, demonstrating the hand movement with her own wand.

Katie nodded and tried again. "In _cen_ dio." She did the hand movement and fire burst from her wand to the fireplace. Her face lit up.

"I did it! Thank you so much," she leaned over and hugged Anna tightly, "I thought for sure I was going to fail this exam."

Anna laughed. "No problem. It's not that difficult." Her eyes caught sight of the nearby clock. "Shoot! I've gotta go. I'm supposed to meet Charlie down at Hagrid's hut. I'll see you later!" she called over her shoulder as she rushed out the portrait hole.

She ran down the stairs and through the corridors until she was outside, dashing across the grounds until she reached Hagrid's hut, where Hagrid and Charlie were already waiting for her.

"We were beginning to wonder what happened to you." Charlie commented when she reached them, nearly panting for breath.

"Sorry. I was helping Katie with some school work." Anna told them as they headed into the forest. Nearby, they found the hippogriff pen.

Anna hurried past the others, giving a short whistle. The hippogriffs all lifted their heads and turned to her. A couple slowly approached the fence near her, but Buckbeak hurried past them, squawking happily. Anna stopped at the fence and petted him while he ducked his head and nudged her shoulder with his beak.

"Someone missed yeh." Hagrid commented as he and Charlie came up behind her. The half-giant stepped around them and opened the gate, letting the two students follow him inside the pen before he closed the gate again.

Anna stayed by Buckbeak for a few minutes while Hagrid and Charlie crossed the pen.

"Anna, it's happening. Don't wanna miss it, do you?" Charlie called after a few minutes.

Anna quickly kissed Buckbeak's head before crossing the pen to crouch next to Charlie. A few feet away was a new nest with a small egg about the size of a Quaffle. It was shaking and squeaking, a few cracks already on its surface.

One of the younger hippogriffs, the little chestnut one that hatched Anna's first year, came over and nudged Anna's arm. Anna petted him, but he must have gotten too close for the soon-to-be-mother's liking, because the bronze female guarding the egg squawked at the little one, making him run back toward his own mother.

It took several minutes, but slowly the baby hippogriff pecked and chipped away at the egg until it was able to break itself out. It was covered in gray fluff and had bright yellow eyes.

"It's so fluffy." Anna whispered, covering her mouth with her fingers. It was easily the cutest thing she'd ever seen.

"Yeah. He's a cute lil' tyke, ain't he?" Hagrid chuckled, reaching out and tickling the baby's cheek with his giant finger.

Anna and Charlie stayed with Hagrid and the hippogriffs for a good hour before heading back up to the castle for dinner.

XXX

Gryffindor beat Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match in March, and Ravenclaw in May. However, Slytherin managed to practically destroy every house, winning them the Quidditch Cup and leaving them in first place by over a hundred points. The other houses were severely disheartened.

Annabelle, the twins, and Lee decided to get their own bit of revenge on the Slytherins a couple days after the Quidditch Cup was awarded.

They arrived to breakfast before anyone else, even the teachers. George kept watch at the front door while Lee, Fred, and Anna walked up and down the Slytherin table, adding drops of Swelling Solution to certain dishes and drinks that they knew the Quidditch players would eat.

George let out a whistle when he saw someone coming, and the others quickly corked their potions and hurried to their own table to sit and eat, acting completely innocent when a group of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff prefects entered the Great Hall.

About ten minutes later, Anna noticed a Slytherin seventh year going for the pumpkin juice she'd put a few drops of Swelling Solution in. She nudged Fred with her elbow and the two watched eagerly as the Slytherin poured himself a cup and took a sip. Since the potion was a bit diluted by the pumpkin juice, it took a minute for anything to happen, and when it did it was so slow it took a while to notice. But Fred and Anna had to quickly muffle their laughter behind their hands when the boy's face started swelling like an angry frog.

Many other Slytherins met a similar fate as breakfast wore on before anyone put two and two together, and soon many of the Slytherins were too afraid to eat their breakfast.

Over all, a fairly good start to the day, in Anna's opinion.

XXX

Anna sat quietly at breakfast, listening to the boys' usual chatter. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. They'd finally finished their final exams the day before, which she had been studying like crazy for, for a couple months, staying up late into the night. The twins teased her for spending so much free time studying, and even dragged her out to have fun once in a while. While at the time it annoyed her when they interrupted her studying, within minutes she would be grateful for the distraction.

They were interrupted in the conversation by Professor McGonagall walking down the table, handing each student a sheet of parchment with their names on it.

Anna read hers over when she got it, and saw that it was to sign up for their electives their third year. They'd been given information on it around Easter holiday so they had time to think about it.

"What are you guys taking?" Anna asked curiously as the twins and Lee started writing something on their parchments.

"We're going to take Divination and Muggle Studies." Fred and George answered at once.

Anna eyed them for a moment. "Why?"

"Why not?" they answered back.

Anna shrugged. "Okay, whatever."

"What are you taking?" Fred asked, looking at her paper even though she hadn't written anything down yet.

Anna also looked at her parchment. "Well, obviously Care of Magical Creatures, that's a given." she answered as she quickly circled that subject.

They were required to pick at least two, and Anna had taken weeks to decide what her next one would be. She'd like to have a class with the twins, but she didn't need to take Divination or Muggle Studies. She'd heard Divination was a waste of time unless you had the particular gift for it, and her grandpa was a Muggle, she already knew a lot about how they lived and acted. From what she'd heard, Study of Ancient Runes was similar to History of Magic, and she wasn't a fan of history-related stuff. It was boring to her. The last subject available was Arithmancy, which she supposed would be useful, if not difficult to learn. So, she circled Arithmancy with her quill.

" _Arithmancy_? Why would you take Arithmancy?" Fred asked, having watched her circle it.

"Why would you take Divination?" Anna returned, putting her quill away.

"Because it's easy. Arithmancy's all math and numbers and such."

"I might actually be able to use Arithmancy in the future, you never know." Anna pointed out.

"But wouldn't you rather be in class with us?" George asked, playing pitiful with big, sad brown eyes.

Anna snorted. "You could always take Care of Magical Creatures with me." she pointed out.

Fred and George looked at each other, and actually seemed to be considering it, before they shook their heads and turned back to her. "Nah."

"Between you and Charlie, we hear about that stuff enough as it is."

Anna rolled her eyes, smiling in amusement. "I suppose you're right. And besides, we'll be in the same classes, anyway, with all our usual classes."

"I suppose we'll survive a couple classes without you." George sighed.

"Don't know who we'll copy off, though." Fred added thoughtfully.

Anna, in turn, smacked him on the arm.

XXX

Anna followed the twins and Lee off the train, pushing her heavy trolley onto the platform. They waved goodbye to Lee, who hurried over to his parents nearby.

"Can't believe Charlie's not coming back to Hogwarts next year." Anna said sadly as they looked for their parents.

"Yeah. Did he tell you where he's going next year?" George asked.

Anna nodded. "Yeah. He's going to study dragons in Romania on the reserve down there. It sounds amazing." Anna grinned. Even though she'd miss Charlie, who was her first real friend, she knew how excited he was to be going to Romania. When he talked about it his eyes lit up like the twins' did when they talked about a good prank.

"I can't wait to hear his stories when he comes home for visits." Fred grinned excitedly, "Though I'm sure mum's less than pleased. Another baby flying the coop. And leaving England."

"Off to wrestle dangerous reptiles." George added with a wicked grin.

"Don't say that around your mother." Anna warned, swatting his arm when she noticed Molly and Arthur Weasley standing with her own mother, Wren. "I'm sure she's already worried as it is, you don't need to make it worse."

The twins didn't comment, since they reached their parents at that moment. Molly was quick to hug her sons while Anna moved to hug her own mother. They stood around and talked for a few minutes while they waited for Charlie and Percy to arrive.

"You two need to come over in a couple weeks." Charlie announced as he leaned down to hug Anna. "Mum insists I need a going-away party before I leave for Romania. Probably going to invite friends from school and the Quidditch team. I'll owl you the details in a few days. Actually, it might be better if you owled me first so I could send it with Ariel. Errol's not the most reliable bird around." he finished with a grin.

Anna laughed. "I'll be sure to owl you in a few days, then."

XXX

Annabelle did as she promised, sending Ariel to the Weasleys' with a short note to Charlie asking for details on his going away party. His response told her it would be held at their home, called The Burrow, around 2 in the afternoon the second Saturday of July.

Wren and Anna Flooed to the Burrow about half an hour early, as Wren wanted to help Molly set up. The two women had reconnected since reuniting at the train station, and frequently met for tea or lunch to chat and relax.

When they stepped out of the fireplace together, Anna looked around the room she was now in. It was a cozy-looking living room with a sofa and a couple armchairs, a wooden wireless set, and a large clock on the wall. Though, when Anna looked closely at the clock she saw that there were nine hands, each with the picture of a member of the family, and instead of numbers, there were different places like 'home', 'school', 'work', 'traveling', 'prison', and, disturbingly, 'mortal peril'.

"Oh, someone's here. Guests weren't suppose to arrive for-" Molly Weasley cut off her worried rambling as she entered the living room. "Oh! Wren, Anna, so nice to see you!" she beamed, hurrying forward and hugging each witch individually. "You're early."

"We figured you could use some help setting everything up." Wren pointed out.

"Nonsense, you needn't trouble yourselves." Molly waved off, but Anna could see she looked a bit frazzled, her hair frizzy and food on her apron.

"Nevertheless, we had nothing better to do. And I'm sure you could use a couple women to help, Merlin knows how useful men can be." Wren countered sarcastically, earning a laugh from Molly.

"Very true. Well, I'm in the kitchen cooking with Ginny, you could come help us in there if you'd like, Wren. The boys are with Arthur in the backyard, getting everything ready. You could go help out there, if you want, Anna." Molly suggested, knowing four people in the kitchen would be far too crowded to get anything done.

"Sure, Mrs. Weasley." Anna smiled.

"The back door's through the kitchen back here, come along, I'll show you." Molly told her, putting her hand on Anna's back and leading her into a small kitchen with a table that set eight people. The whole table, as well as the few spaces on the kitchen counter tops, were covered in different dishes of food. Dishes were scrubbing themselves in the sink, and there was a large pot that was stirring itself on the stove.

Ginny Weasley, now nine years old, was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, swinging her legs as she watched the oven door, looking rather bored. She looked up and beamed when she saw Anna with her mum.

"Anna!" she shouted, hopping off the chair and hurrying over. She threw her arms around Anna's middle in a crushing hug, which surprised Anna. She'd only spoken to the youngest Weasley the few times they'd seen each other at Kings Cross Station. "I'm so glad you could come! I know you'll want to hang out with Charlie and Fred and George all day, but I was hoping we could hang out, too, if you want. You can tell me all about the Quidditch team, Charlie says you're really good, and I want to be on the team when I go to Hogwarts, and-"

"Ginny, Anna needs to go outside." Molly told her daughter sternly, cutting off her run-on sentences while she and Wren got to work on another side dish. "And I'm sure she'd rather talk with Charlie or the twins, she won't be seeing Charlie for a while, and the twins have more in common with her."

Ginny looked crestfallen as she sat back down at the table.

"Actually, if you'd like I could sit with you when we eat." Anna told the little girl, "I wouldn't mind telling you about Quidditch and Hogwarts, if you want."

Ginny's face lit up again. "Really?"

"Sure, but right now I'm going to help them set up in the backyard. We can talk later, though." Anna promised.

"Okay! Have fun out there, I think the twins are still trying to catch a few garden gnomes. They're lucky, I've got to sit here and watch the cake in the oven." she finished in a grumpy voice, rolling her eyes behind her mother's back.

Anna stifled a chuckle as she moved through the kitchen and out the back door. Sure enough, Mr. Weasley was using his wand to shoot streamers over the trees and hedges, Charlie, Percy, and Ron were setting up several large tables with chairs around them, and Fred and George were snooping through a bush.

Anna hurried across the yard, coming up behind the twins. She tiptoed the last few steps and suddenly poked them both in the back.

"Ah!" they both shouted in surprise, shooting upright from their bent over positions and spinning around. "Anna!" Instantly, their shock turned to delight and they quickly crushed her in a group hug. Anna laughed, hugging them back around their necks. They were both a couple inches taller than her so she was briefly lifted off the ground. When her feet were firmly back on the ground and they stepped away from each other she looked them over with a small smirk.

"Well, don't you both look dashing."

She was used to seeing them in their school robes, and occasionally a sweater vest over their button-down, but today they were both wearing an actual, formal vest over their button-downs. Fred was wearing a blue vest over a green shirt, and George a green vest over a blue shirt.

"Just don't mention the lack of a tie," Fred suddenly whispered, leaning down a bit to ensure no one else would hear.

"-or mum will make us put one on."

"And it'll choke us to death!" Fred ended, his eyes widening theatrically.

Anna laughed quietly, covering her mouth. She, herself, was in a white dress shirt and capris. Her mum tried to convince her to wear a skirt, but Anna hated skirts. It was bad enough she had to wear them in school, she didn't want to wear them anywhere else.

"Do I not even get a hug from my favorite Chaser?" a familiar voice asked from behind Anna.

She spun around, a grin already in place, to see Charlie standing behind her with an expectant look and his arms open. She instantly jumped forward, giving him a tight hug.

"Are you even allowed to pick a favorite?" she asked jokingly as she pulled away.

Charlie shrugged. "I am when I'm not Captain anymore. And when you agree not to tell the others."

Anna groaned. "Don't remind me. I mean, I've got nothing against Wood, he's great, but when it comes to Quidditch he's a bit…obsessive." she pointed out after she could think of a word.

"Like that speech he gave before our last match?" Fred grinned in amusement. "How much you want to bet if he comes today he'll go on and on about Quidditch and the team next year,"

"and how much he'll miss Charlie,"

"and the team won't be the same without him,"

"and how we probably won't be able to find a Seeker half as good,"

"but he'll be sure to lead the team to victory as best he can." Fred finished his and George's little back-and-forth comments in a dramatic tone, puffing his chest up.

Charlie and Anna snickered for a few moments.

"You two better not give him a hard time this year." Charlie warned, "You've gotta admit, he's a great Keeper. So take it easy on him, will you?"

"What about her?" Fred and George demanded indignantly, pointing at Anna.

"She'll probably try to keep you two in line." Charlie retorted with a grin.

"Well, I don't know about that."

XXX

Anna was greeted by the rest of the Weasley family before helping the twins de-gnome the garden, which was fun in it's own right. They turned it into a throwing contest, which Fred barely won. The only Weasley who couldn't make it was Bill. He'd planned on coming but something came up with his job in Egypt and he couldn't make it.

People soon began arriving, many of them Anna knew or at least recognized from school. But seeing as a lot of them were seventh years, Charlie's classmates, Anna didn't know all their names. She was pleased to see her cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, was invited. They got to talk for a little bit and catch up. Apparently, Tonks would soon be starting her training as a Auror, a dark wizard catcher. Anna wasn't sure how that would work out, given how clumsy Tonks was, but it was the thought that counted.

As she promised, Anna sat next to Ginny when they sat down at the large table to eat. Fred sat on her other side with George. She told Ginny a little bit about Quidditch, like her first match and about some of her teammates, and told her a bit about Hogwarts and the classes and Professors. Ginny seemed to be upset that Ron would be going to Hogwarts when summer ended, leaving Ginny all alone at home with her parents.

"I know how you feel, a bit." Anna told her when the younger girl said that, "Up until I left for my first year, I was home alone a lot because my mum works a lot. It was rather boring and lonely. But you'll be in Hogwarts soon." she assured her, which seemed to make Ginny feel better.

When Anna saw Ron off hiding behind some bushes, she mentioned it to the twins.

"Since Charlie graduated Hogwarts, Mum and Dad got him a new wand, so Ron got his old one. If he's sneaking around doing magic over there, Mum'll tan his hide. He knows he's not supposed to do magic."

"He doesn't have the guts to do it." Fred smirked. "He wouldn't risk getting in trouble and not being allowed to go to Hogwarts."

"And you would?" Anna smirked.

Fred gaped at her in mock offense. "You dare question me?"

Anna and George both snorted into their food.

XXX

The party went well into the night, people slowly leaving as the sun dipped below the horizon. Anna and her mother insisted on sticking around long enough to help put some things away, despite Molly's insisting they helped enough.

Finally, however, it was time for Anna and her mum to leave. While Wren said her goodbyes to Molly and Arthur, Anna said a much more permanent-feeling goodbye to Charlie.

"Don't look so sad." Charlie told her, "It's not like you'll never see me again. I'll come back eventually, for holidays or something. And you know you can write to me anytime, your owl's much more reliable than Errol." Anna gave a tiny grin, "Besides, you need to keep the twins out of trouble and keep me posted on the goings-on at Hogwarts, with Quidditch, the animals, and pranks and stuff."

Anna nodded quickly, trying to blink her tears away. Charlie was the first friend she'd ever had, the first person to really look past her last name and find out what she was really like. And he'd introduced her to nearly all her favorite things; Hagrid's animals, Quidditch, the twins…

"I'm still going to miss you." she muttered, looking at her feet.

Charlie pulled her into a hug, his arms big and strong from playing Quidditch. It was a warm hug, like what Anna always figured a father's or brother's hug might feel like. And she soon found herself not wanting to let go.

"You'll be fine. The twins have your back, and you can write to me anytime. It may take me some time to respond, since Romania's not exactly next door, but I _will_ write you back. I promise."

Anna nodded against his chest, and subtly wiped under her eyes when she pulled away. She didn't need anyone seeing that she was trying not to cry.

Two arms suddenly landed over her shoulders, one on either side of her. "Don't worry, Anna,"

"you've still got us." the twins promised her.

Anna laughed, leaning her head on one of the twins' shoulder. "I suppose that's true."

 **XXX**

 **With everything going on, I almost forgot today was Thursday, the day I update this story. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, though I'll admit, I'm going to miss Charlie. But don't worry, they'll keep in touch, obviously.**

 **Let me know what you all thought of this chapter.**

 **And Happy Thanksgiving!**


	15. Harry Potter

Anna yawned, stretching her arms over her head as she entered the spacious living room of her home. Their home, which they'd lived in Anna's whole life, was a nice, two story cottage in a small, Muggle neighborhood with woods behind them. It had three bedrooms; Anna's, the master bedroom, and a guest bedroom; two bathrooms; a small office; a basement; a living room with a large front window and a fireplace; and a kitchen, which they ate in. Their back door in the kitchen lead out to a small garden with a bench that Wren often liked to walk in or read on the bench.

An insistent tapping on the back living room window caught Anna's attention. Ariel was perched on the windowsill with multiple letters in her beak. Anna hurried over and pushed the window open, allowing her owl to fly in. She left the window open, since it was a nice, sunny day out, and to give Ariel and Helena the option of going out again for a hunt if they wanted.

"Come on." Anna held out her hand, letting Ariel perch on her forearm as she took the letters from her beak. She walked into the kitchen, greeting her mum, who was reading the _Daily Prophet_ at the table with her morning cup of tea, with a quiet "Morning."

She let Ariel move to the countertop as she grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and filled it with water from the tap. She placed the bowl in front of her owl, who began drinking it happily.

Anna shifted through the mail and found a letter from Charlie, who had already been gone for a couple weeks. Anna grinned and decided to read that in a bit. She moved it to the counter to look through the rest of the mail. Her mum had a couple letters, but Anna also had a letter from Hogwarts.

Anna placed her mum's mail on the kitchen table and slid it toward her before opening her Hogwarts letter. Inside was her supply list for the year, as well as her permission slip to get into Hogsmeade. She grinned in excitement, having temporarily forgotten that her and the twins could finally go to Hogsmeade _legally,_ without the map and secret passageways.

"Mum, can you sign my permission slip, please? It's for Hogsmeade." Anna asked, handing the slip to her mother.

Wren looked down at the slip blankly, as if not fully registering what she was holding.

"Mum?" Anna looked at her worriedly. She'd never seen her mum like that before.

Finally, Wren swallowed and cleared her throat. "I'd almost forgotten you were going into your third year."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Mum, don't get all sentimental about how I'm growing up too fast."

Wren cracked a smile, looking up at her daughter. "For once, that's not what I'm getting at." She gestured with the slip for Anna to sit at the table across from her. Anna did so, slowly, unsure of what was going on.

Wren sighed again, leaning forward with her elbows braced on the tabletop. She brushed a hand through her short, brown hair, her eyes fixed on the tabletop.

"How much do you remember about your father?"

Anna instantly went tense. The subject of her father was sort of a taboo. Whenever she'd asked about him as a child her mum would get sad and quiet, so she eventually stopped asking. She only had very vague memories of him, really.

"Um,…well, you said he was put in Azkaban…and you mentioned he was disowned as a teenager and he ran away from home…"

Wren smiled sadly. "Yes, all that's true…" Finally, she sighed and lifted her eyes to meet Anna's. "I think it's time I told you what happened all those years ago."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked cautiously.

"When he was in Hogwarts, your father had a group of friends. They were very close, maybe closer than you and the twins." Wren started, "One of his friends, who was practically his brother, was James Potter."

Anna's mouth fell open just a bit. "Is…isn't he related to Harry Potter somehow?" she finally managed to ask. Harry Potter was a well-known name in the wizarding world. He was just a baby when Voldemort, the darkest wizard in the world, tried, and failed, to kill him. And afterwards, Voldemort simply vanished and the war was over.

Wren nodded grimly. "He is…Harry was James and Lily's son. We were all very close during the war. James and your father, Sirius, were best friends; and Lily and I practically became sisters with our husbands being so close. Sirius was made Harry's Godfather, and James was yours. Lily was one of the few girls in Hogwarts who didn't look down at me when word got out I was pregnant our seventh year. And of course James and Sirius stuck by me, honestly Sirius was more attentive to me when I told him I was pregnant than he'd ever been before.

"Anyway, I'm telling you all this because Harry was a couple years younger than you, so this year he should be going into his first year at Hogwarts; of course since he went into Lily's sister's custody I have no doubt she and her husband will do anything to keep him from going." At Anna's confused look, Wren explained, "Lily was a Muggleborn, her sister's a Muggle, and she always hated anything to do with magic. Her husband's the same way."

"Okay. So, do you want me to introduce myself to Harry when I meet him?" Anna asked, unsure where her mother was going with this.

Wren grimaced slightly. "That's where it gets tricky. You see,…during the war we found out that…Voldemort was after Harry for some reason. I don't know all the details, but it was decided that the Potters would go into hiding. So, Dumbledore cast the Fidelius Charm on their home."

"What's the 'Fidelius Charm'?" Anna asked curiously.

"It's a protective charm used to keep secrets. The secret is hidden inside a person, known as the Secret Keeper. Only they can disclose the information, and only by choice. Originally, your father, Sirius, was going to be the Secret Keeper for James and Lily, but he changed his mind at the last minute. We thought it would be too obvious, everyone would know that it was Sirius. And tensions were high, we didn't know who we could trust. We all suspected we had a traitor among us. So,…Peter Pettigrew was made the Secret Keeper instead. Only a handful of people knew about the switch.

"Then,…that night on Halloween, Sirius left to go check on Peter. I still don't even know for sure what happened, but…next thing I know, I'm being contacted and told that Sirius is being arrested for murdering Peter and several muggles. And that James and Lily were dead."

Anna's mouth fell open and she lifted her hand to cover it.

Wren's green eyes were glistening as she stared down at her hands, one hand playing with her wedding ring on her finger.

"I got there with you as soon as I could, and he was being restrained by Aurors. He kept insisting he was innocent, but as far as anyone knew, he was the Secret Keeper. Witnesses claimed that Peter shouted that Sirius betrayed the Potters. Then,…a spell went off that wiped out a neighborhood. I tried anything to convince them he was innocent, but there was just no evidence, and they refused to give him a trial. It was just my word against all the facts. They all just figured I was desperate to protect my husband."

"But,…mum, how do you know for sure he's innocent? What if he was lying?" Anna asked carefully.

Wren looked at her daughter thoughtfully. "If someone tried telling you Fred hurt George, would you believe them?"

"Of course not!" Anna exclaimed. "Fred would never-"

"I know that. James and Sirius may not have been twins, but they were close enough they may as well have been brothers. And Sirius loved Harry. He would never have betrayed them." Wren's eyes suddenly watered, "And he loved _you_." She leaned forward and rested a hand over Anna's. "He loved you so much, darling. You should've seen how his face would light up when he was with you. The day you were born was hands down the happiest day of his life, even more than our wedding day. He loved spending time with you and playing with you. He would rock you to sleep and just watch you. I swear he grew up more in your first month of life than his last four years at Hogwarts."

Anna had to blink her eyes to clear away the blurriness that had suddenly come on, a couple tears spilling down her cheeks. "Really?" she checked.

"Of course." Wren promised, reaching up and wiping the tears from her daughter's cheek.

Anna cleared her throat, trying to think clearly and get back to the point of this conversation. "So,…I should probably be careful around Harry, then? Because if anyone actually knows who my dad is, they'll believe that he betrayed the Potters and got Harry's parents killed."

"I'm just warning you to be careful." Wren answered. "I'm not saying avoid Harry by any means, he may very well need a good friend at Hogwarts, but be careful in doing so."

XXX

Anna didn't get to meet the Weasley's in Diagon Alley that summer. Molly didn't want to bring all the kids to Diagon, but she didn't want to leave Ginny home alone, so she just brought Ron to get his things and got everyone else's things while she was there. Anna and Wren went on a different day, unfortunately. So, Anna wouldn't be seeing any of the Weasleys until September 1st.

She hugged her mum goodbye on the platform and headed toward the train. She noticed a few of the Weasleys standing near the train. Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, and their mother, Molly.

When she got close enough to hear, she heard Fred say, "Alright, keep your hair on." to his mother.

"Anna!" George greeted her as she approached. He grabbed some of her luggage for her, hoisting it quickly onto the train. Just as they got the last of it on the train, the whistle sounded. The twins and Ron leaned back out so Molly could kiss them goodbye.

Anna smiled in sympathy when she noticed Ginny was crying.

"Don't, Ginny. We'll send you loads of owls." Fred promised.

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

 _"George!"_ Molly scolded him while Anna looked at him with a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"Only joking, Mom." George told her, but the mischievous twinkle in his eye hinted that he wasn't.

The train started moving and they waved goodbye, Ginny even running after the train until it rolled out of sight.

"Come on. Let's go find our compartment." Fred told George and Anna as they started down the hall. Ron had already disappeared. They quickly found him again in a compartment with another boy with messy, black hair and round glasses.

Fred opened the compartment door and leaned in. "Hey, Ron. Listen, we're going down to the middle of the train, Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right." Ron mumbled, looking nervous at the thought of a giant spider.

"Harry," George leaned in next to Fred, "Did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother." he waved vaguely toward Ron, "See you later, then."

"Bye."

Anna would've stayed frozen in place for a long while if Fred hadn't begun pushing her down the isle toward the middle of the train.

"Come on, Anna. What's the hold up?" Fred asked after she started moving again on her own.

"Was that who I think it was?" Anna asked them, having to look over her shoulder since the isle wasn't quite wide enough for them all to walk side-by-side.

"You mean _The_ Harry Potter? The boy who faced You-Know-Who and lived? Yep." Fred grinned.

"Mum helped him get onto the platform, and then we helped him get his things on the train."

"He's really got the scar, you know. It's really there, and shaped like a lightning bolt!" Fred whispered excitedly.

Anna tried to smile in amusement, but it was really more of a twitch of her lips. She'd only just found out the whole truth about Harry Potter from her mother a few weeks ago, and she'd decided it would be best to keep it to herself as best she could for as long as possible. No one needed to know about all that.

She was so distracted that George had to grab her arm when she nearly walked past their compartment. She followed them inside and sat on the bench with Katie near the window. They both eyed the giant spider in the box on Lee's lap.

Everyone talked about their summers. Katie went on a trip to America with her parents. Fred and George mentioned some of the things they'd told Ron to mess with him. George gave him a fake spell to turn Scabbers yellow.

Scabbers used to be Percy's pet rat, but when Percy received a letter saying he was made a Prefect, his parents bought him a new owl and Ron got Scabbers.

Fred had told Ron over the summer that first years were given a test to be sorted; they had to wrestle a troll. Everyone in the compartment got a kick out of that.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Fred turned to Anna, "We need to blow up a toilet sometime this year."

"Wait, what?" Anna looked at him in bewilderment. She looked to George to see if he looked as confused as her, but of course he looked as eager as his twin. "Why?"

"Mum gave us the idea."

"And we promised Ginny we'd send her a Hogwarts toilet seat. She's upset she can't come to Hogwarts yet and we want to cheer her up." George explained.

Angelina and Alicia 'aw'ed while Anna was trying to figure out how Molly Weasley gave the twins the idea to blow up a toilet.

"Um,…yeah, sure, okay." she finally decided it would be easier to just agree with the twins. And she figured it would get a laugh out of Ginny, which the young girl could use.

They passed the time in the usual ways, Exploding Snap, talking, plotting, and the twins snuck a dungbomb into a compartment filled with Slytherins. The screams were very amusing. There was also a moment when a rather plump first year peaked in asking if any of them had seen a toad, which they hadn't.

Finally, they arrived in Hogsmeade and took the carriages to the castle, where they sat at the Gryffindor table. Looking up and down the table, Anna personally found it rather strange that last year's sixth year students were now seventh years, and Charlie was nowhere to be seen. In the letter he sent over the summer, he'd told Anna he was starting his training after a week of safety lessons in a classroom setting.

When everyone was sitting, the first years were lead in by Professor McGonagall. Anna listened with half an ear, cheering every time a first year was sorted, especially when they were sorted into Gryffindor.

Finally, the name Harry Potter was called and whispers erupted in the Hall. Anna leaned back in her seat to see around Fred's head, while he and George leaned forward on their elbows. The same boy she'd seen sitting with Ron on the train was now sitting on the chair in front of the whole school, the Sorting Hat being placed on his head so that it covered his eyes.

Dead silence fell over the hall for a good couple minutes before a single word burst from the ragged, old hat. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Everyone burst into cheers and several people at the Gryffindor table stood up as they applauded. Anna stood up, unable to help noticing the beaming smile that broke over Harry's face when his House was announced.

The twins were chanting, "We got Potter!" over and over as Harry approached the table. Percy Weasley shook his hand vigorously while people leaned around their house mates to pat his back or shake his hand. It took a minute before Harry was finally allowed to sit down, and the Ceremony resumed.

Ron ended up sorted into Gryffindor, as well, along with a few others. With a few rather strange words, Professor Dumbledore started the Start-Of-Year Feast, causing the food to magically appear on their plates.

Around them, there were several different conversations going. Percy was discussing classes with a first year girl with frizzy brown hair, Angelina and Alicia were discussing Quidditch with Oliver Wood, and a first year boy with sandy-colored hair and an Irish accent was introduced to Sir Nicholas, the Gryffindor ghost, and asked how someone could be 'nearly headless', as the ghost was often referred to as Nearly Headless Nick. Sir Nicholas demonstrated by pulling his head to the side to reveal it was attached to his neck by a small strip of flesh. Anyone who was not prepared for this, and then a few others, were greatly disgusted by this display. Anna herself barely kept from gagging as she turned back to her plate while George merely ate his chicken leg with an almost-bored expression.

After many random discussions and multiple servings of food and dessert, Professor Dumbledore called for silence and began his yearly speech.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore kept a straight face as his eyes, glittering with amusement, flickered toward Fred and George. Anna rolled her eyes at the two as he continued. "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

That seemed to be the end of his speech, several students chuckling nervously until they realized he was being serious. Students began standing as the Prefects began leading the first years to their common rooms for the night.

Anna and the twins exchanged curious looks.

"Wonder what's on the third floor." Fred mumbled as they slowly followed the mass of students from the Great Hall.

"Very curious." George nodded slowly, "Very curious indeed."

"I suppose we'll have to check it out, huh?" Anna smirked deviously at them.

"Duh."

 **XXX**

 **And we've caught our first glimpse of Harry, and Anna's found out the truth about her dad. Let me know what you all thought of this chapter.**

 **Also, has anyone seen** _ **Fantastic Beasts**_ **yet? I saw it on Tuesday, and it was** _ **amazing**_ **!**


	16. Fluffy

The first week of class was rather dull, with all the reviewing and homework. Anna found that Care of Magical Creatures, while fun and interesting, it wasn't nearly as great as she thought it would be. Though, that might've been partially due to who taught it. Professor Kettleburn was…interesting. He only had one arm and half a leg left for limbs, and frequently went off on random tales of his younger years in the middle of lessons. And while those stories were interesting, Anna would've preferred to actually learn about the animals.

"I'm telling you, it smells funny because he stuffed it with garlic to keep away the vampires that attacked him on his travels." Fred insisted as they left the Gryffindor common room one evening, George nodding along eagerly.

They were talking about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrel. He wasn't a new Professor, but Anna and the twins hadn't had him before this year, since he taught Muggle Studies the year before. He was a pale, stuttering man who wore a purple turban and seemed to be afraid of his own shadow. And his turban had a very peculiar smell to it.

"Whatever you say." Anna agreed with a smirk. She agreed the turban stunk, but it didn't smell like garlic to her.

"Annabelle! Fred, George!" a voice called from behind them, causing them to stop and look over their shoulders. Oliver Wood, the new Quidditch Captain, came hurrying after them with a look of absolute delight on his face.

"What's up, Wood?" Fred asked as they turned to meet him.

"You look like Dumbledore just announced we've won the Quidditch Cup." George added with a smirk.

Wood shook his head, still beaming, "Not quite, but he may as well have."

"What?" Anna and the twins repeated in shock and confusion, leaning forward a bit.

"I've just spoken with Professor McGonagall. She had just happened to pass the first years' first Flying Lesson, and saw _Harry Potter_ make a fantastic dive. She said they'll be willing to bend the rules and allow him a spot on the team as our new Seeker!" Wood explained quickly in a quiet voice.

Anna and the twins exchanged wide-eyed looks. Finding a new Seeker had been the thing the whole team was worried about, since it was a very important, difficult position on the team. They weren't even scheduled to have their tryouts until the following weekend, and they already had good players in every position last year that would most likely make the team again.

"A first year?"

"Making the Quidditch team?" the twins repeated, glancing at Anna. She had come close to making the team in her own first year, but hadn't managed it with the older students. And she doubted McGonagall would've allowed her to get past the tryouts, anyway. She almost felt a tint twinge of jealousy, but then she reminded herself she tried out fair and square and lost to better players.

Wood nodded so vigorously, Anna worried his neck would snap. "The youngest Seeker in a century. But we want to keep this a secret. I'm just going to tell the rest of the team, but we've got to keep it as quiet as possible. Our own secret weapon."

The twins and Anna eagerly agreed, and Wood hurried off to find the other players, practically skipping down the hall. Whispering quietly among themselves, the three hurried down to the Great Hall, planning to snag some food before meeting up with Lee, who had mentioned earlier that he found a new secret passage.

When they entered the Hall, they easily spotted Harry eating with Ron and hurried over to him. Anna hung back behind the twins, still a little uneasy being around the famous Potter. She didn't want anyone to see them together and figure out the connection. If she could help it, she didn't want Harry to ever know about their connection, lest he blamed her for the death of his parents.

"Well done." George whispered when they approached the two first year boys, "Wood just told us. We're on the team, too. Beaters." he told Harry, gesturing to himself and Fred. Glancing over his shoulder, George also waved his hand at Anna, "And this is our best friend, Annabelle. She's a Chaser on the team."

Anna and Harry waved at each other, both offering friendly smiles. Anna was relieved that it wasn't awkward.

"I tell you, we're going to win the Quidditch Cup for sure this year." Fred cut in eagerly, "We haven't won since '85, when our brother Charlie was a second year, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school." George explained.

"Bet it's the one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

The three quickly waved goodbye to Harry and Ron and hurried off, snagging a few bits of food on their way back out the large doors.

XXX

As expected, the result of the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts left Wood as Keeper, Fred and George as Beaters, and Angelina, Alicia, and Annabelle as Chasers with Katie Bell as a reserve Chaser. Wood was keeping it as quiet as possible that Harry was the Seeker.

"So, are we going try and figure out what's on the third floor?" Anna asked the twins and Lee as she flopped down on Fred's bed in the third year boys' dormitory.

"Why, of course." Fred grinned.

"We can go there tonight, if you're interested." George added.

Anna hummed, her eyes landing on the Marauder's Map, sticking out from under George's jumper under the bed. Leaning over, she snagged it off the ground and scooted back against Fred's pillow.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." she whispered, tapping her wand on the winkled surface. The boys were busy talking about a prank they wanted to pull on a couple Ravenclaws, so they weren't paying attention to her.

She unfolded the map and her eyes scanned the parchment lazily. She liked doing this when she was bored, curious about the goings-on in the castle.

She saw Mrs. Norris and Filch heading for his office, in a broom closet were a couple students whose names she couldn't make out in the tight space, which made her snicker, and a group of students in the library.

However, as her eyes scanned the page, she found them drawn to the third floor corridor. The thought that maybe the map would reveal something barely popped into her head when her eyes landed on a familiar name.

Anna instinctively slammed the map shut, her wide eyes zooming to the three boys sitting on Lee's bed. They seemed to be in their own world of plotting and pranks and hadn't noticed her reaction or what she was looking at.

Very carefully, Anna reopened the map and her eyes went back to the abandoned classroom on the right side of the third floor corridor. Sure enough, there was a dot with the name _'Fluffy'_ lying completely still right in the middle of the room.

Memories flashed through Anna's mind of a small, well, relatively small, three-headed puppy eating the chopped up bits of a deer for dinner, and having his belly rubbed by Hagrid the groundkeeper. Of course, that was nearly a year ago, the dog would be full-grown by now. How big did Hagrid say three-headed dogs could get? Anna struggled to remember for a moment.

 _'…I think they grow to be at leas' 3 meters tall, sometimes 4...'_

Anna's eyes widened a bit when Hagrid's words came back to her. If Hagrid was right, which she assumed he was since she saw Fluffy grow nearly a meter within a few months, Fluffy probably took up nearly that whole classroom he was in. He was probably full-grown by now. But why on earth would they keep Fluffy in there? She had learned herself that he could be rather vicious with anyone he didn't know. Why would they keep him in the school and risk a curious student getting hurt? The twins and herself were proof enough that someone was bound to get nosy and check it out. Maybe they couldn't build a pen big enough or strong enough to hold Fluffy in it?

"Anything interesting?"

Anna was dragged from her worried thoughts and found Fred, George, and Lee staring at her curiously from Lee's bed across the room.

Trying to act nonchalant, Anna folded the map back up. "Oh, nothing much. Just some students misbehaving in a broom closet." she answered with a forced smirk.

The boys instantly smirked and snickered. "Oooh! Any names?" George asked deviously.

Anna shook her head, giving them a more relaxed smile. "Nah. The closet was too small and the names were overlapping." The boys found this even more amusing, Fred even falling over from laughing so hard.

Whispering, "Mischief Managed." Anna tapped the map with her wand and watched the ink disappear. Now, she had mixed feelings. She was even more curious as to why Fluffy was in that classroom, but now she wasn't sure if she should let the twins sneak off and see for themselves, or if she should try and prevent them from finding out.

XXX

Later that evening, just before dinner, Anna hurried off to Hagrid's for a visit. Well, it was partially a visit, but mostly Anna wanted to figure out what was going on in the third floor corridor.

Hagrid was sitting out in front of his hut with Fang at his feet. When Anna got closer, Fang lifted his head before clambering to his feet and trotting over to her. Anna greeted the large boarhound by scratching him around the ears

"Anna! Haven' seen yeh in a while." Hagrid greeted her, carving a piece of wood with a knife.

"Hi, Hagrid. How are you doing? I haven't gotten the chance to come visit yet." Anna smiled, sitting on the ground next to him. She crossed her legs and tucked her skirt down to keep her underwear from showing. Fang flopped down beside her and rested his big head in her lap.

"I'm fine, can't complain. How's classes?" Hagrid smiled.

Anna shrugged. "Classes are good I suppose. We're going to start Quidditch practice in a few days. Did you hear about our new Seeker?" she asked with a small smile.

"Ah, I did. McGonagall told me. Have yeh seen him fly yet?" Hagrid asked with a beaming smile under his bushy beard.

"No, I haven't. But Oliver Wood was practically skipping in the halls, I'm guessing he's really good. Wood's going to practice with him alone for a while, to keep it a secret and all."

They made small talk for a little while as Anna contemplated how to casually bring Fluffy into the conversation.

"Hey,…Hagrid?" she asked casually, looking off into the forest where Fluffy's pen used to be. "How's Fluffy doing lately? Haven't seen him in a while."

Hagrid instantly went quiet and stiff. "Oh, um,…Dumbledore said he was getting too big…had to be sent off…"

Anna eyed him for a moment. "Oh,…I'm sorry to hear that. Where'd he get sent to?"

"Um, not sure…Didn' tell me." Suddenly Hagrid cleared his throat. "Anyway, it's nearly time to eat. Yeh should be gettin' to the castle."

Anna nodded slowly as she stood up, using her wand to make Fang's drool vanish from her lap. "Right, I'd better get going. See you later, Hagrid."

She hurried back to the castle, even more unsure what to do. Hagrid was clearly hiding something, and she doubted Fluffy would be in the castle without his knowledge. If he was just being kept in there Hagrid would've told her so, which made her think there was more to it.

She made it to the Great Hall before it was time for dinner and sat at the Gryffindor table. Her thoughts swirled in her head, leaving her completely lost on what to do.

After a while, she felt someone next to her and turned to see George looking worriedly at her. Looking on her other side, Fred was giving her the same look.

"We said, 'where did you disappear to earlier?'" Fred stated slowly, as if talking to a child.

"Oh, um, I just went to visit Hagrid. Sorry, I forgot to tell you guys." Anna answered.

"Well, you missed a fun trip to Honeydukes." George told her, slipping into a relaxed grin, "We saved you a chocolate bar if you want."

"If not, I'll take it." Fred added quickly, even though he knew she wouldn't let him have her chocolate.

"Absolutely not." Anna laughed, shoving his shoulder. "I want my chocolate."

XXX

Luckily, the twins seemed to have temporarily forgotten about the third floor with Quidditch practice and planning pranks on people. Late on the night after her talk with Hagrid, Anna was hanging out with the twins in their dormitory. Despite trying to stop them, they were looking at the map. It was more of a lazy curiosity. They weren't trying to find anything particular, just seeing what was up in the castle.

It was really late, and Anna was too tired to go to her own dormitory when midnight came and went, so she stayed hidden in Fred's bed, the curtain drawn so no one could see her and tattle, especially the only other boy in their year, Kenneth Towler.

Fred had dozed off next to her, but she stayed up. She was under the blanket next to Fred, her legs bent up and the map resting open on her legs. Her drooping eyes were scanning the little dots that scuttled around, barely paying any attention. She was about to shut the map down when a few names that shouldn't be where they were woke her up completely.

Her eyes snapped open as she saw the names ' _Harry Potter_ ', ' _Ron Weasley_ ', ' _Hermione Granger_ ', and ' _Neville Longbottom_ ' in the trophy room. She watched with baited breath as Filch and Mrs. Norris' dots approached the room, waiting for the first years to get in trouble. Fortunately, they managed to escape and run down the corridors, Filch and his cat following. They managed to find one of the hidden passageways through a tapestry and vanished. Anna's eyes searched frantically on the map, unable to remember where that particular passageway came out.

Fred shifted and groaned in his sleep and Anna quickly decided she should go to bed. She was sure the first years would be fine. The worst that could happen is Filch catching them and giving them detention.

Closing the map and muttering the usual, "Mischief Managed." Anna slipped it back under Fred's bed and laid down, forcing herself to fall into an uneasy sleep.

XXX

' _Dear Charlie,_

 _Hope you're doing well. I've been keeping the twins out of trouble(sort of). We all made it onto the Quidditch team, but you'll never guess who the new Seeker is._ Harry Potter _! He's only a first year, but apparently he was so good McGonagall was willing to make him an exception. Wood's convinced we'll win the Quidditch Cup for sure this year._

 _There's really nothing else exciting, except, well Dumbledore gave a speech at the start of term feast and said something about staying away from the third floor corridor or you'll die a very painful death. Of course, that got me and the twins curious. However, I don't know if I should be telling you this, but I have reason to believe Hagrid's three-headed dog, Fluffy, is being kept up there. Don't ask, I just know. So now, I'm not sure if I should try and convince the twins to forget about it, or maybe just tell them what's in there. I know the twins almost as well as you do, and it would be nearly impossible to convince them to drop it. And I don't know why Fluffy's in there, but what could it hurt to just tell them about him? Maybe once they know about him, they'll drop it or something. I don't know._

 _Anyway, I really hope you're having a good time in Romania. All your brothers are doing fine, Ron's best friends with Harry Potter, and Percy's his usual know-it-al self and continues to rub his Prefect status in everyone's faces. Let me know what's going on over there. And I'll be sure to let you know how the first Quidditch match goes._

 _From,_

 _Anna'_

It took Anna about an hour total of thinking and rewriting the letter twice before she was content with it. Finally, she folded her letter up, addressed it to Charlie, and gave it to Ariel to deliver.

After she watched her owl disappear into the clouds, Anna met up with the twins and Lee to pull a prank on Adrian Pucey and a couple of his friends.

It took a few days for Charlie to write back. He was surprised and amazed that, not only was Harry Potter the new Seeker, but McGonagall was willing to bend the rules to allow it. He also suggested she tell the twins about Fluffy being on the third floor, but only as a last resort. And to make sure to avoid going there, because Fluffy was very vicious and big enough to literally bite their heads off. Not to mention, Fluffy had enough mouths to bite off each of their heads at the same time.

XXX

"ANNA! AAAANNNAAA!"

Annabelle and Katie looked up from their homework with expressions of alarm when Fred and George came hurrying down the stairs from the boys' dormitory. The many people in the common room watched curiously as the twins ran over to Anna, took her things off her lap and pulled her toward the stairs they had just run down from.

"Nothing to see here. As you were." George assured everyone as Fred dragged Anna up the stairs.

"What are you guys doing?" Anna demanded as she was yanked into the twins' dormitory.

"Come look at this." George waved her over to his bed, where the map was spread over the blanket.

"We've been distracted and haven't gotten around to checking out the third floor yet, but then we thought of looking at the map to see if anyone was around there,"

"And then we figured, maybe it would show if there was anyone in there." George finished where his twin left off.

Anna felt her heart fly to her throat as she followed them over to the map. Sure enough, Fluffy's dot was still in the room.

"There's someone in there named 'Fluffy'." George explained. "We only just saw it a few minutes ago, and we rushed to go get you. So we don't know how long he or she's been in there."

"I'm guessing it's an animal. Sounds like a cat's name." Fred added.

Anna nodded slowly and made a hum sound, trying to sound interested or curious. But she merely felt sick with worry.

She didn't realize, however, that George had turned to look at her and was watching her reaction.

"Anna?" George questioned quietly. His tone made Fred look from the map to their friend.

Anna swallowed. "Huh?"

Fred's eyes narrowed. "Why don't you look surprised, or even curious?" he questioned slowly.

Anna looked at him with what she hoped was a blank expression, but he read the guilt in her eyes.

"You already saw this, didn't you?"

Anna sighed, her eyes falling closed in defeat. "Alright, look…Fluffy's Hagrid's…I met him with Charlie last year when he was a puppy."

"So, it's just a dog?" George questioned, sounding disappointed and confused, "What's so scary about that?"

Anna sighed again, moving to sit on Fred's bed next to George's. "Fluffy's…a _three-headed_ dog." Fred and George's eyes went wide with shock, and then excitement, "But he's really vicious." Anna rushed to continue, "And I'm not supposed to know, I don't think anyone's supposed to know. I casually asked Hagrid how Fluffy was doing, and he got all tense. He said Dumbledore sent him away, but I got the sense he was hiding something."

"But why hide a three-headed dog in there?" George murmured in confusion, picking the map up and examining it.

"Well,…you said he's vicious." Fred said to Anna, who nodded, "Maybe…a guard dog? I mean, what else would a big, vicious dog like that be good for?"

"Maybe." Anna murmured, "You've got a point I suppose. But seriously, guys, don't go snooping around there. I saw that dog when he was just a puppy. By now he's bound to be bigger than us. He could very well kill you. I mean it!" she urged.

George looked between Anna and his twin for a moment. "She's got a point, Fred. Plus, we know what's in there, now. Is there really a point in looking?"

Fred groaned. "Oh,…alright, fine."


	17. Troll and Broom Troubles

The next month was full of homework, Quidditch practices, pranks, and more homework. To Annabelle's relief, the twins seemed to have put Fluffy in the back of their minds, for now. And she did nothing to remind them of the three-headed dog.

After classes on Halloween afternoon, Anna walked along the corridors with Lee and the twins, whispering about their plans to charm the pies for the Halloween feast to propel themselves at anyone who tried to eat them.

Anna's bladder screamed at her when they neared the girls' lavatory. "Um, I'll meet you guys in the kitchen. I've got use the loo." she told them, hurrying into the bathroom.

She entered the bathroom, but paused. She heard someone else in there. Which, of course, wasn't unusual, but something sounded wrong. There was sniffling, and…a hitched breath?

"Um, hello?" Anna asked uncertainly as she approached the stall it seemed to be coming from.

"Go away!" the voice sobbed.

Anna's eyes narrowed for two reasons. One, she was obviously concerned, and two, the voice sounded vaguely familiar.

"Are you…Hermione Granger?" she questioned. She'd had a few conversations with the bushy-haired first year Muggleborn since she saw her on the map, but the young girl never gave anything away as to what happened that night.

"Who wants to know?" she demanded through her sobs.

"Um,…Anna, Annabelle from Gryffindor. We've talked a few times. You asked a lot about me being a Metamorphmagus."

"Oh. Well, you can leave. I'd like to be alone." Hermione said quietly, her voice still thick with tears.

"Well,…alright. If you're sure…" Anna said uncertainly, "Would you…I was about to meet my friends in the kitchens…would you like to come and get some tea or hot chocolate?" she asked uncertainly. The twins certainly wouldn't be pleased, since Hermione was a bit of a know-it-all and strictly followed the rules, but she couldn't just ignore the fact that the girl was crying her eyes out alone in the bathroom.

There were a few moments of silence before Hermione said quietly, "I'd rather not, but thank you for asking."

"Okay. Well,…I hope you feel better, whatever happened." Anna told her before quietly leaving the bathroom, forgetting why she'd been in there in the first place.

XXX

She'd met the twins and Lee in the kitchens, where they had charmed most of the pies when the house elves weren't looking. They were pretty much done by the time she arrived, and commented on how long she took in the bathroom. That was when she remembered that she still really needed to pee, but she didn't mention it. She figured it would be kinder to keep Hermione's state quiet.

They headed to the Great Hall for the feast later on, sitting at their house table and waiting for other students and the food to arrive. She heard another first year mention to Harry and Ron that Hermione had been crying in the bathroom all afternoon, and couldn't help noticing that Harry and Ron looked mildly guilty. Anna filed that away in the back of her mind for later, wondering if she should get back at them for clearly doing something to the young girl.

The first course of the feast had only just begun, and everyone was chatting merrily as they ate, when suddenly the large doors of the Great Hall swung open with a loud bang.

Anna jumped in shock and spun around with everyone else to watch Professor Quirrell race through the Hall, looking paler than normal. He had a look of absolute terror on his face before he finally slumped forward on Dumbledore's table. Silence fell over the room as everyone waited with baited breath for him to speak.

His words, though quiet and gasped out, echoed loudly in the silent room. "Troll…in the dungeons…thought you ought to know." And with that, he fainted.

Voices quickly rose in terror, a few people screaming with fear before Dumbledore shouted for silence.

"Prefects will calmly escort their house mates to the common rooms, and staff shall follow me to the dungeons." he ordered calmly.

Percy instantly went into Prefect mode, not that he ever _left_ Prefect mode, and began ushering the Gryffindor students out of the Great Hall.

"Wait, isn't the Slytherin common room _in_ the dungeons?" Anna asked in confusion, looking up at the twins as they walked next to her.

Their mildly worried expressions stretched into grins instantly.

"Maybe if we're lucky, the troll'll take out a few of those slimy snakes before the Professors get there." Fred smirked.

"This isn't a laughing matter!" Percy snapped at them as he passed, leading the way down the corridor toward the stairs. Fred made a face at his back.

They finally reached their common room and every available space was quickly filled with students, sitting on the couches, chairs, tables, and even the floor. Everyone was eager to hear what would happen and didn't want to retire to their own dormitories. House elves delivered food from the feast and everyone ate their fill, though not as cheerfully as they would've otherwise.

"You think they'll catch it?" Anna asked, her back leaning against the wall, sitting in a circle on the floor with the twins, Lee, Katie, Angelina, and Alicia.

"Of course they will." George answered.

"Yeah, trolls are stupid. It wouldn't be that hard for them to take it out." Fred added certainly.

They sat and made small talk, but for the most part it was rather tense in the room. The tenseness was temporarily broken when someone tried to cut a piece of pie. Anna had forgotten about them charming the pies until a seventh year was hit in the face by a pumpkin one. The room erupted in loud laughter as the pie tin slid from his face, leaving orange mush and whipped cream behind on his face. The seventh year laughed it off, but of course Percy went purple in the face, ranting about this was no time for jokes.

"This is the perfect time for jokes." George muttered so only their group could hear, glaring up at his older brother, "Someone needs to cut the tension in here or I might go insane."

The others nodded in agreement, and Anna gave George a reassuring smile as they went back to eating.

Anna's eyes dazedly scanned the room as she ate her food, and in the back of her mind she registered there were a few faces missing. Her mind snapped back to focus.

Hermione. And Harry and Ron were missing. Was Hermione still in the bathroom?

Anna was about to jump to her feet and rush to the twins' room to check the map, when the portrait door swung open. Everyone fell silent and turned to stare at the three first years as they stumbled into the common room.

Anna stretched her neck as high as possible to get a good look at them over peoples' heads. They seemed mostly unharmed. All three were ruffled and disheveled, dust covering their hair, faces, and robes.

"Ron!" Percy shouted sternly, approaching the three quickly and looking them over. "Where on earth have you three been? What happened?" he demanded.

The three students exchanged a quick glance, probably contemplating what to say.

"Um, well…the troll's gone." Ron offered meekly with a grimace.

Everyone stared in stunned silence as Hermione went up to her dormitory, and the boys went to their own rooms.

Anna didn't say anything out loud, but she noticed in the days following Halloween night, Hermione, Ron, and Harry were suddenly best friends, as if whatever happened that night formed a bond that couldn't be broken.

XXX

The first Saturday of November, most of the Gryffindor Quidditch team was silent and tense at breakfast. Anna was barely able to stomach a couple pieces of toast. This was normal before any Quidditch match, but with it being the first match of the year, and against Slytherin, and the first match with Harry as the new Seeker; they were even more nervous.

After forcing down some breakfast, the team slowly trudged down to the pitch to change in the locker room. Anna pulled on her Quidditch robes just as Wood called for everyone to gather around, taking seats around him.

"Okay men," Wood started, clearly about to give the same speech he gave the year before.

"And women." Angelina cut in.

"And women." Wood agreed. "This is it."

"The big one." Fred added in a similar voice.

"The one we've all been waiting for." George continued.

Anna muffled her laughter behind her hand as Fred told Harry, "We know Oliver's speech by heart, we were on the team last year."

"Shut up, you two." Wood told them, "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win, I know it." he assured them.

With that being said, the team headed out onto the pitch. Anna took deep breaths to calm her nerves as she followed the team.

"Relax, Anna." Fred whispered as he came up on her side. "It'll be fine."

Anna nodded in agreement before mounting her broom and following them up into the air. Madam Hooch walked onto the pitch and stood in the middle with the crate of balls.

"Now, I want a nice clean game, all of you." she ordered, with a particularly hard look at Flint, the Slytherin Captain.

With a whistle, the balls were released. Angelina instantly swept down and grabbed the Quaffle from the air, speeding down the pitch toward the Slytherin goals. Lee Jordan was commentating in the background, and he said something that made McGonagall snap at him, but Anna forced herself to focus on the game.

Angelina passed the Quaffle to Alicia when a Slytherin tried to intercept her. Ang dodged around the Slytherin and Alicia passed the Quaffle back to her only for a Slytherin to intercept and take the Quaffle. That Slytherin passed it to Flint, who sped down the pitch toward the Gryffindor goals. Anna tried to intercept him, but he slammed into her and sped past her. Anna had to keep a tight hold on her broom to keep from falling. Luckily, Wood knocked the Quaffle away when Flint tried to score.

Anna dove down and managed to catch the Quaffle, speeding back down the pitch and dodging around Flint. She was over halfway down the pitch when a Bludger smacked into her back. Anna lurched forward from the impact, the Quaffle slipping from her hands and landing right in Adrian Pucey's arms.

He neared the goal posts, but George knocked a Bludger at him and blocked him, resulting in Angelina nabbing the Quaffle back. She sped down the field and Anna joined her, shoving a Slytherin out of her path to clear the way. Ang ducked her head and missed a Bludger. She then threw the Quaffle, just making it past Slytherin Keeper Bletchley, earning Gryffindor 10 points.

Anna gave Ang a high five when they passed as the stands erupted in cheers. A Bludger zoomed right by Anna, ruffling her hair as Fred flew after it. She glanced over her shoulder and _way_ up into the air to see the Bludger zoom past Harry, who was hovering up there. Fred caught up with the Bludger and beat it toward Flint just as Pucey got the Quaffle from Alicia.

Fred and George both knocked a Bludger at him to try and stop him, and sped right after the Bludgers to get in his way, but Pucey ducked all of that. Anna made a dive and passed in front of him, trying and failing to knock the ball from his hands.

Lee's commentating, as usual, was background noise until he said, "-wait a moment- was that the Snitch?"

Pucey, who had quickly looked over his shoulder, dropped the Quaffle and Anna dove for it. She scooped it up meters from the ground and dodged a Slytherin Chaser who had also gone for it.

She knew she should try and make a goal, but the fact that Harry and the other Seeker were both going for the Snitch was too intriguing to pass up. So, she slowed to a stop, the Quaffle tucked close to her chest, and turned to watch as both Seekers dove toward the ground, neck and neck. All the other Chasers were frozen, too. Anna held her breath as Harry managed to pull into the lead, but then Flint slammed into him, knocking his broom off course.

Angry shouts erupted from the stands and on the field as Madam Hooch ordered a free shot for Gryffindor.

Anna, who already had the Quaffle in her arm, flew to the Slytherin goal post and made the shot to the sound of Lee making rather amusing comments.

"So - after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating-"

"Jordan!" McGonagall snapped.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul-"

 _"Jordan, I'm warning you-"_

"Alright, alright. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Black, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

Anna smirked in amusement as she turned and followed Alicia, who had caught the Quaffle after she scored. When she passed George, he gave her a high five for the goal and went after a Bludger.

Unfortunately, Flint came out of nowhere and slammed into Alicia, knocking the Quaffle out of her grasp and speeding in the opposite direction with it tucked under his arm.

Anna turned and got in front of him, trying to block him, but he passed both her and Angelina. Anna was just hoping Wood could block the shot when a Bludger flew in and crashed into Flint's face.

Ang grabbed the Quaffle back and zoomed by while Anna looked up and grinned at Fred, who was pumping his fist with his Beater Bat proudly, clearly the one who hit Flint with the Bludger.

Sudden gasps and shouts from the crowd made Anna look up.

Harry was really high up, higher than he should be, in Anna's opinion. But what got everyone's attention was that the broom was rolling over multiple times. Harry looked like he was struggling to hold on. Anna's narrowed eyes were focused solely on him, and her broom was subconsciously floating up a bit. Then, with a wild jerk, the broom knocked Harry off. He swung over the side and barely managed to keep hold with one hand.

Annabelle's hand flew to her mouth, but she was momentarily distracted by a Slytherin Beater hitting a Bludger at her. She ducked her head and it went whistling by her ear. She glared at him, her teeth clenched with rage. It was clear something was wrong with Harry's broom, why the hell were they still playing?

Her eyes went back up to the still-bucking broomstick. Fred and George had flown up to Harry, most likely planning on pulling Harry onto one of their own brooms. Fred reached forward to try and grab Harry's other hand, but it was useless. Every time they got too close the broom lurched higher out of their reach. It was already high enough that if Harry fell he'd die on impact.

Clearly realizing this, the twins flew lower and started circling under Harry's broom, hoping they could catch him if he fell. Anna flew a bit closer to their circle, but stayed far enough back that she wouldn't be in their way if Harry fell.

Glancing toward the goal, Anna did a double take and instantly glared, her fist clenching angrily on her broom handle. While everyone else was worried about Harry, Flint had managed to sneak in five goals. Did Slytherins have no shame?

"Git." Anna muttered under her breath before looking worriedly up at Harry's broom. The broom was still, now. It wasn't shaking or bucking. Anna was just starting to hope maybe it had stopped whatever it was doing, when Harry pulled himself back up onto the broom. She thought he'd just stay there and continue looking for the Snitch, but instead he dove toward the ground.

Anna's head snapped around, trying to keep him in her sights when he suddenly clapped his hand over his mouth, as if he were about to vomit. He hit the ground hard, causing Anna to wince, and stayed still on all fours. He started coughing and hacking, his back lurching painfully, until something fell out of his mouth and landed in the grass, glinting in the sunlight.

"He's caught the Snitch!" Lee shouted, causing the stands to erupt in cheers. Anna stayed where she was, hovering with her mouth open in absolute shock.

"What just happened?" she asked herself as the team dove for the ground.

"Come on!" Fred shouted as he sped past her. Shaking her head to clear it, Anna followed her team down to the ground to congratulate their new Seeker.

Just as she landed, George came over and picked her up, bouncing up and down as everyone cheered. "We won! We won 170 to 60!" he shouted in her ear, but Anna didn't care about how it made her eardrums throb. She cheered just as loud, moving around and hugging her teammates. This day couldn't be any better.

 **XXX**

 **Obviously, today isn't Thursday, my usual updating day, but I noticed last night that Charlie's birthday is on December 12, which is today! So I decided to post an extra chapter today, since Charlie is a significant character in my story, so I consider his birthday a significant enough date to post an extra chapter.**

 **Review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Also…**

 **HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLIE WEASLEY!**


	18. Christmas Visit

Annabelle woke early one morning in the middle of December to find that it had snowed overnight, leaving several feet of the white powder on the ground outside her window. Excited, Anna threw her blanket off and rushed about, getting dressed and grabbing her winter clothes.

She hurried down the stairs, planning on going to wake the twins up for some winter fun, but she saw that they were also coming down their dormitory stairs, George even hopping down the stairs on one foot as he pulled his other boot on.

"Let's hurry and get some breakfast and then go outside." Fred suggested hurriedly, leading the way toward the portrait hole.

They rushed to the Great Hall for a quick breakfast before they hurried outside, pulling their winter cloaks and Gryffindor scarves and mittens on.

"What should we do first?" George asked, looking out over the seemingly-endless expanse of white.

"Well, I just know you two are going to insist on a snowball fight, which will end in you two ganging up on me, so I beg you to build a snowman with me first." Anna begged.

Fred and George laughed. "We would never gang up on you." Fred tried disagreeing, but Anna couldn't quite bring herself to believe him.

Soon, the three were up to their knees in the snow, choosing to roll the snow into large balls for the body by hand instead of with magic. It was much more fun that way, in their opinion. Wanting to make an extra large snowman, Anna eventually needed help pushing the bottom ball around the snow, because it got so big throwing her shoulder against it barely made it budge. When George and Anna found it was too heavy for them both to continue pushing, they decided that one was big enough. They then moved to help Fred, who was making the next one, lift the second ball onto the first one. Finally, they made the last one, and Anna found some sticks and pebbles from a spot next to the castle wall that had been shielded from most of the snow.

Fred stuck the sticks on either side of the middle snowball, for the arms, and Anna put the pebbles on the top one, forming two eyes, a nose, and a smile.

The three stepped back to admire their handiwork, having to brush a bit of sweat off their foreheads from the work. Trying to trudge through snow that was taller than your knees was rather difficult.

"Not bad." George commented.

"Rather handsome, I'd say." Fred joked, making them laugh. "Now, snowball fight?"

Anna sighed. "Ugh, fine." She ran several feet away, which was a struggle, and waved her wand, creating a decently-sized wall of snow.

"Not fair!" the twins shouted, George adding alone, "How did you do that?"

"I'll tell you after the fight, if you two don't gang up on me!" Anna shouted over the top as she started making a pile of snowballs. After a few minutes of quiet, Anna peaked over the top of her fort.

Fred had created a small, haphazard pile of snow that he was hiding behind and George was hiding behind their snowman. They were far enough away from each other that Anna didn't think they would be ganging up on her.

With her eyes focused on George, she didn't see Fred throw until a snowball hit the side of her head.

"Ow! You git!" she laughed, grabbing a ball off the top of her pile and chucking it with all her might at him. It went a bit too far to the left and barely missed him.

"That was an awful throw!" Fred teased, "And you call yourself a Chaser?"

Anna was about to throw another one at him, but George beat her to it and hit Fred in the shoulder.

They continued like that for a good hour, going back and forth. Anna was relieved that the twins didn't seem to gang up on her, attacking each other about as often as they attacked her.

However, Anna didn't realize she was running low on ammunition until she reached down and only felt flat, soft snow. Looking down, she had no snowballs left.

"Crap." she muttered, quickly grabbing fistfuls of snow and packing them together.

George took advantage of this and grabbed a few snowballs from his own stash and raced over toward Anna's little fort. He rounded the wall of snow and, before Anna even had the chance to look up, he pummeled her with his snowballs.

"Ah! George! No fair!" Anna shouted, lifting her hands to try and protect her face.

Fred came up behind George and slammed a snowball down on his head. The three quickly chucked snowballs at each other for a couple minutes, laughing and shrieking, before they all flopped over in the snow. Anna weakly lifted a scoop of snow into her hand and dumped it on Fred's head, and he retaliated by tiredly shoving her in the face.

"Well," George sighed, "that was fun."

"Mhm." both Fred and Anna nodded in agreement.

Anna heard the quiet sound of footsteps in the snow and lifted herself up onto her elbows. Peaking around the snow wall, she saw Professor Quirrell crossing the courtyard.

"Hey, I've got an idea." Fred suddenly hissed in her ear. He had sat up to see what Anna was looking at and was struck with a brilliant idea. He scooped up some snow and patted it into a ball. He waved his wand over it and the bewitched snowball slowly lifted into the air. Then, it shot across the courtyard and began bouncing off the back of Quirrell's turban.

The initial hit shocked Quirrell and he jumped. Then, he tried to cover his head as he hurried to get into the castle.

Anna and George quickly followed Fred's example, chuckling as their own snowballs flew over and began hitting Quirrell repeatedly in the back of his turban.

They watched, muffling their laughter, as he hurried into the castle to escape the bewitched snowballs. Only when he was out of sight did they fall back into the snow in fits of hysterical laughter.

They were cut off by someone clearing their throat.

Anna tilted her head back in the snow to see an upside down Professor McGonagall. Sitting up quickly, Anna turned to face their rather stern-looking Head of House.

"Um, hi Professor." she muttered, the twins echoing her and trying not to laugh anymore.

McGonagall raised her eyebrow. "I believe you three will be joining me for detention this evening."

XXX

After a couple nights of detention for the snowball incident, the rest of the week was just full of homework for the most part. Then, it was time for Christmas holidays. The Weasley kids were staying at Hogwarts this year because Molly and Arthur went to visit Charlie in Romania, and it wouldn't surprise Anna in the slightest if Molly spent the whole time there trying to convince Charlie it wasn't really what he wanted to do.

Annabelle, on the other hand, would be going home for Christmas. She'd be spending it with her mum only, as her Aunt and Uncle were going on a trip with their kids, and her grandparents had some type of business to take care of.

After a rather long train ride that was spent with Angelina, Alicia, and Katie talking about the exciting things they would be doing over Christmas holiday, Anna met her mum on the platform. They once again made their annual shopping trip to Diagon Alley to shop for Christmas presents.

Anna blinked her eyes open on Christmas morning and for a moment just stared out her bedroom window and the light sprinkling of snow falling from the sky. For some reason, she didn't feel like leaping out of bed and racing to the Christmas tree to see what was under it. She felt sort of…melancholy in a way.

Slowly, Anna decided to get up and pushed her warm quilt down to her ankles, swinging out of bed and wrapping up in her dressing gown. Slowly and quietly, Anna made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, setting the kettle up on the stove so there'd be tea ready when her mum got up.

Leaving the kettle to heat up, Anna moved into the living room. Her eyes first went to the Christmas tree, which her and her mum had decorated. It wasn't fancy by any means, it was sort of jumbled, but with a homey feel to it. It was covered in candy canes, popcorn chains, bobbles, and homemade ornaments she'd made as a child. Under the tree was about a dozen presents, all wrapped in a wide variety of wrapping paper.

Moving past the tree, Anna paused at the fireplace next to it. It was a large cobblestone fireplace that matched their cottage-type house. The mantle was a bit over Anna's head, since they ducked into the fireplace to use it to Floo. On top of the mantle was a small bucket of Floo powder and several moving pictures.

A small, sad smile slipped over Anna's face as she searched the pictures.

The first photo was of Annabelle as a baby, and she was in someone's lap, probably her mothers. She was smiling a big, toothless smile, her hair bright green.

In the next picture, she was a couple years old. A man was tossing her in the air over and over again, her smile as wide as his. She could only see a side profile of the man, but he was relatively tall, fair-skinned, and had black hair past his shoulders. Even from the side view, she could see the beaming, happy smile stretched across his face.

The third photo had Annabelle, a couple years old; her mum, Wren, with longer, brown hair; and a beautiful woman with long, red hair holding a baby boy with a head of black hair and bright green eyes. In the picture, Anna was making faces at the little baby, which caused him to smile and laugh. Anna grinned at the photo. She'd never looked closely at these photos, but she guessed the baby in this one was Harry Potter.

Moving to the last photo, Anna's eyes stung and her throat closed. She was definitely younger than a year, and both her parents were in the picture. She was sitting on her mum's lap, and Wren was leaning her head on her husband's shoulder. Sirius Black, Anna's father, briefly kissed his wife's head before looking down at his daughter with a warm smile stretched over his face.

Anna struggled to swallow for a moment, her hand coming up to touch the frame of the photo, her thumb gently tracing her father's face.

"Merry Christmas."

Anna looked over her shoulder to see her mum at the foot of the stairs wearing her dressing gown, a sad smile stretched over her face. It wasn't until that moment that Anna heard the tea kettle squealing in the kitchen, clearly ready to be taken off the stove. The sound was probably what woke her mum up.

"Merry Christmas." Anna said back with a small smile. She turned away for a brief moment to wipe a tear from under her eye.

She sat on the couch as her mum got the tea ready, coming back in with two mugs of tea. She handed one to Anna, who blew on it before taking a sip. It was made just the way she liked it.

"He loved Christmas the most."

Anna paused and turned to look at her mother. Wren had her mug held with the top near her chin, her eyes looking over the mug and straight at the photos on the fireplace mantle.

"It was his favorite time of year. He used to hate it because it meant he had to go back to his parents' house, but after he ran away he swore to make it a better holiday, for himself and his new family. Especially after you were born." Wren smiled softly, her eyes misted over from the memories.

"He loved playing with you in the snow, helping you build a snowman or going sledding. Our last Christmas together, we all made a batch of cookies for 'Santa' and he helped you put frosting on them. I think you got more on yourself." Wren laughed softly, and Anna smiled as she watched her mother's face. "And he'd get you up early in the morning, take you down here to the Christmas tree-oh, the tree!" Wren laughed, "Decorating that tree, he'd hold you up and you'd hang the decorations on the tree. Especially putting the star on the top. And on Christmas morning, he'd just laugh and watch you unwrap your presents. Your first couple years, he obviously helped you. And to make you laugh, he'd bury you under the torn wrapping paper. You got such a kick out of that."

Anna laughed quietly with her mum, leaning her head on her shoulder. Wren wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders and leaned her head against hers.

"Christmas used to be such a happy time around here." Wren whispered. "It still is, but…the house would be full of people. James and Lily…they only got to bring Harry once…Peter and Remus…"

Anna didn't really recognize the last two names, but she was suddenly certain what she wanted, what she needed, at least for this Christmas.

"Mum, I want to meet him."

It took Wren a moment to understand her daughter's words as she stared at her in shock. "You…what?"

"I want to meet him. I want to meet my father. Please. Everything you just talked about…that man would never betray his friends and family. I can tell from those pictures, he loves us. I just want to meet him for myself."

Wren's mouth opened and closed a few times before she found her voice. "Anna…sweetie, he's in Azkaban."

"I know that. But, surely they allow visits." Anna insisted.

"Well,…only for Ministry officials, so I could possibly get a visit, but…Azkaban is a horrible place, darling. The dementors that guard Azkaban are horrible. They suck the happiness out of a place, and leave you feeling depressed and cold. I don't want you anywhere near that place."

Anna swallowed thickly. "You mean,…he has to stay in a place that awful?"

Wren nodded sadly.

Anna took a deep breath through her nose before letting it out her mouth. "Please, mum. I just want to meet him."

Wren looked at war with herself before she gave in. "Very well. We can go later today, after presents."

"Really?" Anna's eyes lit up. "You mean it?"

Wren chuckled. "Yes, Annabelle. I mean it."

Anna lurched forward and tightly hugged her mum with one hand, accidentally sloshing some tea over the brim of both her mug and her mother's. Wren laughed, and cleaned the small mess with a wave of her wand while Anna placed her mug on the coffee table and moved to grab some presents.

XXX

The familiar twist of Apparation left Annabelle's gut and she stumbled a bit when they landed, her hand tightly gripping her mum's. When her dizziness went away, she looked up at the enormous tower atop the large island they'd landed on, the waves crashing against the shore directly behind Anna and Wren.

Instead of letting Anna's hand go, Wren tightened her grip on her daughter's hand and lead her up the path to the large, front doors of the prison. Lifting her free hand, Wren banged her fist on the door. After a long silence, the door swung open and a wizard stepped aside to let them in. Since her mother still refused to let go of her hand, Anna followed Wren to a small desk with a witch off to one side.

The building was very cold, and that's saying something given it was snowing outside. It was a kind of cold that reached under her skin and into her very heart. And Anna suddenly didn't feel as happy or excited at the thought of seeing her father. Her mum wasn't kidding when she said this place sucked the happiness out of you.

"We're here for a visit." Wren told the witch at the desk. She was a small, rather pale witch, with short, brown hair, and she was wearing thick, winter robes and had a generous supply of chocolate on her desk.

"And who would you like to see?" the witch asked quietly.

"Sirius Black." Wren answered curtly.

The witch's eyes went mildly wide before she turned to some papers. "Okay. I'll just have you both sign in here and a dementor will take you to his cell." she explained, placing a clipboard in front of them.

Wren took a quill from the small witch and quickly signed her name before handing it to Anna, who signed her name under her mum's signature. Wren handed the clipboard just as a wave of cold swept the room.

A large creature, about three meters tall, floated into the room from a side door. It was dressed in a black cloak made of ragged, torn fabric. Anna instinctively stepped closer to her mum as she nervously eyed the creature. It had a hood that covered it's face, leaving its hands as the only bit of skin exposed, and they were gray and scabbed over, as if they were decomposing. The only sound in the room seemed to be coming from it, loud, rattling breaths.

"Come on, darling." Wren wrapped her arm around Anna's shoulder and silently lead her after the dementor, which floated back through the door it had entered in. It lead them through a corridor and up a set of winding stairs. After they were several floors up, it lead them down another corridor. They passed several cells, and Anna tried not to look in them. The one time she slipped up and glanced past the bars, she saw a small, bony figure curled up in the corner, half concealed by the shadows. She quickly pressed closer into her mother's side, as Wren tightened her grip on her shoulders.

Finally, the dementor came to a stop at a cell. It looked like any other cell in the prison, but the dementor gestured to it and then floated away again.

Wren stepped forward and gripped one of the bars with one hand, getting her face nice and close to the cell door.

"Sirius?" she called quietly.

Anna squinted a bit to see into the back of the cell. It was mostly dark, but she could just make out someone dressed in what looked like a striped outfit. A leg shifted in the cell before someone spoke.

"Wren?" the voice was gravelly and quiet.

Wren smiled tearfully. "It's me, Love."

The figure seemed to struggle to stand up, bracing himself against the wall behind him to do so. Part of his face left the pitch black shadow and Anna saw one gray eye glint in the light as it met hers.

After several moments of silence, he spoke again, his voice one of disbelief. "Annabelle?"

Anna nodded and forced herself to swallow. "It's me, dad."

Sirius stumbled forward and out of the shadow, stopping and gripping the bars of his cell door with both hands when he reached them. His aged face was paler than in the pictures, his cheeks sunken with bags under his eyes. His black hair was to his waist and matted, and a thick beard and mustache covered most of his face. His eyes were gray, the same color Anna's were naturally. There was a glint of happiness in them, but under that was years of torment and agony.

Those same eyes seemed to trace every feature of Anna's face just as she was doing to him. His cracked lips were parted in awe, revealing yellow teeth. He only dragged his eyes from her to look at his wife, standing next to Anna.

He reached a hand through the bars, but seemed to hesitate. Wren, reading the desire in his eyes, grabbed his hand in her own and lifted it to her face. She held his cold, dirty, shaking hand to her cheek, shifting enough to kiss his palm. Sirius searched her glistening green eyes, tears welling in his own.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" he breathed.

"Your daughter wanted to see you." Wren answered with a small smile.

Sirius's eyes went back to his daughter, who was watching him with wide eyes.

"You…don't hate me?" he asked in amazement.

Anna's brows furrowed. "Why would I hate you? Mum told me you're innocent; that you didn't do what they accused you of."

Sirius gave a quiet, bitter laugh. "Ah, but there's no evidence. Nothing to prove my innocence. The only person who could…can't be found." he admitted quietly.

"Who?" Anna asked quietly. "Maybe you could tell us what happened. Maybe we could-"

"Anna." Sirius cut off, a tear slipping down his cheek as he looked at her. "I love you, and I thank you for believing in me. That in itself is what I want more than anything in the world…but I can't tell you what happened that night. It could very well drive you into insanity. Trying to prove me innocent…it's impossible. I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't been there to see it."

Anna quickly wiped a tear from her face as Wren reached her hand through the bars and wiped tears from Sirius's face as well. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, burying his face into her palm.

After a few moments, he took a deep, shuddering breath and pulled away from his wife's hand, though he kept his own pressed to Wren's cheek, since she refused to let him go. "Anyway, enough about all that. Since you're here, tell me about yourself. You're in Hogwarts now, surely?"

Anna smiled slightly. "Yeah, my third year. I'm in Gryffindor." Sirius seemed to swell with pride when she said that. "And…I'm a Chaser on the Quidditch team, I tried out my first year, but I didn't make it, since first years aren't allowed. Not sure why, but the Captain, Charlie Weasley, insisted I at least try out." she explained, trying to think of anything she could say, "Um,…my two best friends are Fred and George, Charlie's younger brothers. They're Beaters on the team."

"And why don't you tell your father why you didn't get to go to Hogsmeade the last weekend before Christmas holidays." Wren suggested with a small smirk.

Anna blushed and ducked her head as Sirius stared at her with a curious smile. It felt like it was going to tear his skin because he hadn't smiled in years.

"Well,…it snowed about a week before we left Hogwarts and me and the twins, Fred and George, went out to play in the snow. We built a snowman and then had a huge snowball fight." Anna started, "Then, while we were catching our breath, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell, was walking by. He's a really pale and stuttering kind of man, and always wears a funny-smelling, purple turban.

"Fred's the one who started it, really. He bewitched a snowball to follow Quirrell around and hit him repeatedly in the back of the turban, and George and I did the same. Unfortunately, Professor McGonagall caught us and gave us detention."

Sirius barked a rather crazy-sounding laugh that echoed off the walls of the prison.

"And that isn't even the half of it." Wren grinned exasperatedly between her husband and daughter. "Her and the twins get into as much trouble as you and your friends did in Hogwarts."

Sirius gave a smile that was both proud and sad. "Well, she's got to get something from me, doesn't she, Love?"

Wren smiled at him, but it was hard to keep smiling. The prison, filled with dementors, was sucking the happiness from everyone.

"Oh, Harry's in Hogwarts this year." Wren told her husband, whose eyes almost lit up.

"He is? How is he? What happened to him after that night?" Sirius demanded frantically, his eyes taking on a maniacal gleam.

"He was sent to live with Lily's sister and her husband." Wren answered with a small frown. "I tried getting custody of him, Sirius, I truly did, but since the only real connection I had to him was you being his godfather, they refused."

Sirius sighed, his bony shoulders slumping. "But, he's okay?"

"He's fine when he's at Hogwarts." Anna cut in. "Brilliant, actually. He's in Gryffindor and made the Quidditch team as Seeker in only his first year. He's best friends with Ron, Fred and George's younger brother, and a muggleborn named Hermione. Best I can tell, he's fine."

Sirius sighed in relief. "Good. That's good to hear." he whispered.

Suddenly, loud, rattling breathing echoed off the walls, making the small family turn and look down the dark corridor.

"You should go." Sirius muttered, pulling his hand from Wren's cheek and holding the bars in both hands. "That'll be the dementors with our dinner. It's bad enough you had to step foot in this awful place, I don't want you around when they sweep by. There's enough happiness in you they wouldn't be able to resist. They suck the happiness right out of you, the dementors."

"But…" Anna didn't want to leave him already. They'd hardly been there five minutes. And she had hated being inside this place, she couldn't imagine him living there for ten years.

"I'll be fine, darling." Sirius promised her with a soft, forced smile. He didn't mention that the few minutes of happiness he'd just been granted would be sucked right out of him as soon as the Dementors came by. "I love you both." he told them, looking between Wren and Anna.

Wren took a deep, shaky breath, stepping forward and slipping one arm through the bars to wrap it around her husband. She wanted to bury her face in his shoulder so badly, but she couldn't because of the cell bars.

"I love you, Sirius." she whispered, settling for kissing him on the cheek.

"I love you, too." he whispered back, pulling away and staring into her eyes for a moment. Wren only pulled away when Anna stepped forward. When Sirius turned to his daughter, who had tears streaming down her cheeks, he reached an arm through the bars.

Anna stepped forward and pressed herself as close as she could into the bars, wrapping both her arms around his bony body. She could feel his ribs through the baggy, thin prison clothes. Sirius held her tightly in his arms, one hand on the back of her head as tears slipped from his eyes.

"I love you, Daddy." Anna whispered. She couldn't remember the last time she'd used that word, but it felt so right using it then.

Sirius felt a sharp pain in his chest. 'Daddy'. The last time he'd heard that word anywhere but his mind was the night he was dragged away from his family.

"I love you so much, Annabelle Esme Black." he whispered into her brown hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Finally, he forced himself to pull away, gently pushing his daughter away from the icy cold bars.

"Go, now." Sirius told them firmly, not looking away from them.

Wren grabbed her daughter's hand, gave her husband one last heartbroken glance, and quickly left the corridor. They followed the path they had taken and Anna felt like she was in a daze. She didn't remember signing out at the desk, or walking down the rocky path to the Apparation point. She didn't even feel the stinging, cold winter wind, because it almost felt warm compared to being inside Azkaban. She only became aware of anything when she felt the familiar tug in her core, and suddenly, they were standing at the end of the walk to their house.

Wren lead her daughter inside and opened the door.

"How about some hot chocolate?" Wren suggested. "Chocolate's the only real cure to being around dementors. Brings the warmth and happiness back."

"Sure." Anna mumbled, taking a seat on the couch and curling up against the arm. She felt awful, like there was no point to living, or there was no warmth left in the world. Hours could've passed and she wouldn't have noticed. Until her mum forced a hot mug into her hand. She numbly took a sip, the hot chocolate burning her tongue, but it had the desired effect. Warmth rushed back into her body and most of the sadness left her body as if she had just taken a breath of fresh air.

"Feel better?" Wren asked with a soft smile as she took a sip from her own mug.

"Much." Anna admitted quietly, blowing on the steaming drink before risking another sip. "Is that how he feels all the time, being there?" she found herself asking.

Wren paused for a moment before deciding it was better to answer honestly. "I suppose he does, yes."

Anna closed her eyes, feeling sadness and slight anger. "I don't understand why he has to be punished if he's innocent."

Wren sighed, wrapping an arm around her daughter and pulling her into her side. "Life is like that sometimes. It always seems like good people suffer more than bad ones. For a long time I was so angry, still am, I suppose, that Sirius didn't even get a trial. Even the most horrible of Voldemort's followers, like Bellatrix Lestrange, got a trial, as it's required by wizarding law. But they didn't give Sirius one because they felt there was no point."

Anna sighed, leaning her head on her mum's shoulder. "I wish there was a way I could prove him innocent."

"Me, too, sweetie. Me, too."


	19. Snape on a broom?

Anna stepped off the Hogwarts Express with the rest of the students who had gone home. With the long train ride, it was nearing dinner time so Anna followed the crowd straight to the Great Hall. Heading to the Gryffindor table, she quickly spotted the twins' flaming red hair and headed toward them. They were sitting across from Ron and Harry.

Anna walked up behind the twins and dropped an arm over each of their shoulders.

"Fancy seeing you two here." she said with a teasing grin.

"Well, look who decided to show up." Fred answered while George scooted away enough that Anna had a spot to sit between them at the table. "How was your Christmas?"

"Um,…it was pretty good." Anna answered. She had decided a couple days after the visit to Azkaban that she would keep her thoughts and the trip in general between her and her mum. It would just cause tension if she told anyone. "How was yours? Not too boring, I hope."

"Us? Boring? Ha!" the twins chorused, barking a laugh at the end.

"We pulled some typical pranks." Fred started.

"The Christmas feast was pretty fun."

"And we stole Percy's Prefect Badge a few times."

Anna laughed, shaking her head. She noticed Harry and Ron were laughing as well, and figured they had witnessed the chase that probably followed the twins stealing Percy's badge.

"Sounds like fun. Wait, are those new jumpers?" Anna finally looked down and noticed that Fred was wearing a blue knitted jumper with a yellow 'G' on the front. Looking on her other side at George, she saw he was wearing an identical jumper with a yellow 'F' on it.

"Yes they are. I see you got one, too." George pointed out, gesturing to the new jumper she was wearing that was identical to the one she received the year before, scarlet with her Quidditch team number in gold on the front.

"Yes I did, which is good, because I nearly wore the old one out." Anna answered, "And you two realize you're wearing the wrong jumper, right?"

"No we're not." George argued.

"We've been friends for years, and you can't tell us apart yet?" Fred asked, sounding mockingly heartbroken.

"Obviously, I'm Forge,"

"And I'm Gred." they ended with wide smiles.

Anna rolled her eyes, but laughed anyway.

"Mum made one for Harry, too. See?" George added, pointing at Harry across from her, wearing an emerald green jumper. He blushed and smiled at the sudden attention.

"It's like I told you, Forge," Fred stated, "Mum puts way more effort in if they're not for family."

"Oh, shut up." Anna laughed as Hermione joined them for dinner, sitting next to Harry.

XXX

Quidditch practices resumed soon after the term started, happening at least three times a week. Playing in winter wasn't exactly fun, since the icy wind stung Anna's cheeks and made her eyes water, but she preferred that to practicing in February and March, when the snow melted and turned into slush and mud.

During a particularly muddy practice, Anna noticed Wood was very agitated, but the twins quickly distracted her from this. They were dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms. Fred even swooped down and bopped Anna in the shoulder before zooming out of reach. She tried glaring at him, but the corners of her lips were tugging up.

"Will you stop messing around!" Wood suddenly yelled from the ground of the pitch, "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"

Instead of pretending, this time George actually did fall off his broom, landing face-first in the mud.

" _Snape's_ refereeing?" he spluttered through a mouthful of mud while Anna floated to the ground, her mouth hanging open. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."

Everyone gathered in a large huddle around their Captain, everyone voicing their opinions and complaints. Mostly complaints.

"It's not _my_ fault." Wood argued, "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."

With that, practice came to a close and the team trudged off to change and then head back up to the castle.

"It doesn't matter if we play the cleanest game in history." Anna complained, "He hates me and Harry with a passion. Hufflepuff could flat out shove us off our brooms to our death and he wouldn't even give them a penalty."

The twins grumbled in agreement while the rest of the team didn't bother to argue that she was exaggerating. Anna glanced at Harry, who was particularly pale under the mud. She knew Snape had a dislike for him that was just as strong as, if not stronger than, his dislike for her. If what her mum had told her over Christmas break was true, Snape merely hated them because of their fathers. But Wren refused to give many details to explain their strong animosity.

"Don't worry, Anna," Fred threw his arm over her shoulder.

"we won't let Snape kill you." George added on her other side.

Anna chuckled. "Thanks, that makes me feel _so_ much better."

XXX

Annabelle paced anxiously in the locker room, pulling her long, brown and black hair into a tight ponytail with her shaking hands. It was normal for her to be nervous before a Quidditch match, but the fact that Snape was refereeing made her feel sick to her stomach.

She glanced up and saw Wood pull Harry off to the side of the room, away from the rest of the team. Probably giving him a pep talk to catch the Snitch as soon as he can so Snape can't favor Hufflepuff too much.

"The whole school's out there!" Anna turned and saw that Fred was peaking out the door, his head tilted up to see the most-likely-packed stands. "Even - blimey - Dumbledore's come to watch!"

" _Dumbledore_?" Harry dashed over and peaked outside. After a moment, Anna saw him visibly relax. She wasn't sure what was so great about Dumbledore being there. She doubted the Headmaster would interfere in the match if Snape started being unfair.

Fred turned and headed toward Anna, sitting on the bench next to where she was standing.

"Snape looked pissed about something." Fred commented, tightening his gloves.

"Maybe the broomstick's riding up his arse." George suggested as he joined them, his bat slung over his shoulder.

Anna blinked. "Can't believe I never thought of that…I can't picture _Snape_ on a broom."

Fred and George snickered, though she wasn't sure if it was at her or the mental image of the greasy Potions Master on a broom.

"Alright, guys. Let's go." Wood waved them all out onto the pitch, and they quickly mounted their brooms and flew into the air.

Snape blew a whistle and the game began. Anna swooped under a Hufflepuff and barely missed the Quaffle, which was grabbed by a Hufflepuff Chaser. She spun and flew down the pitch, hoping to get ahead and take the Quaffle back.

Snape was in her path, so she shifted to fly around him…but he shifted forward to stay in her way! Anna leaned back and forced her broom to come to an abrupt stop half a meter from him. He appeared to be smothering a smirk.

Anna glared at him as she ducked down and flew under him. It was too late, however, as Hufflepuff scored and Angelina got the Quaffle. Anna sighed in exasperation and turned to follow her. She glanced up just in time to see George, with a scowl on his face, beat a Bludger toward Snape, who just barely ducked it.

Of course, that earned them a penalty, which Hufflepuff used to score another ten points.

When Anna neared George again, she reached over and smacked him on the back of the head.

"You dolt! Are you trying to lose us the match?" she scolded him.

"He blocked you!" George defended himself. "You could've at least had a chance to stop Hufflepuff from scoring, and now we're behind!"

Anna rolled her eyes and resumed the game. Of course, minutes later, they got another penalty.

Anna grumbled as she hovered next to Alicia, watching a Hufflepuff Chaser score another penalty shot. "At this rate, even if Harry catches the Snitch, we'll still lo…" Anna trailed off as she noticed Harry go into a sudden dive, a red blur nearing the ground. The Chasers froze to see what was happening, the crowd in the stands cheering and pointing.

Harry sped right by Snape, who was hovering just above the ground, missing the slimy Professor by inches. Then, he suddenly pulled out of the dive, his arm raised with a triumphant grin to show off the Snitch clasped in his fingers.

Anna's fists shot into the air as she cheered with everyone in the stands before she grabbed hold of her broom again to shoot for the ground with the rest of her team. She hit the ground and stumbled as she dismounted, hurrying to where her team was jumping in a large mass. Harry had managed to catch the Golden Snitch within five minutes! That _had_ to be a record!

Anna hugged Angelina and Alicia, and Katie ran over in her reserve uniform to join them in a hug, as Harry was lifted onto the twins' shoulders. As Harry was released to stand on his own two feet, Anna noticed Ron push his way into the crowd to congratulate Harry. Blood appeared to be gushing from his nose, but he didn't seem to mind as he cheered with a beaming expression.

The crowd started to dissipate after about ten minutes, slowly heading back toward the castle. Fred muttered something to Ron before hurrying over and grabbing Anna's arm and dragging her off. George jogged to keep up.

"Where are we going?" Anna asked breathlessly, having to run to keep from being pulled over.

"The kitchens obviously." Fred answered, taking Anna's broom and stashing it in a secret passageway with his and George's before hurrying off again.

"We're getting some food. We've gotta have a party to celebrate this!" George insisted.

"Not only did we manage to win a match that _Snape_ was refereeing,"

"Harry caught the Snitch in record time!"

Anna laughed loudly, now hurrying as fast as her friends so Fred didn't need to drag her.

They grabbed as many sweets and drinks as they could hold and stuff in their pockets from the kitchens before hurrying back to the Gryffindor common room, where a party was already in full swing. They passed things around and the twins were quick to be the center of the celebrations.

Anna grabbed a butterbeer and sat in a chair next to Ron and Harry, who appeared to be trying to avoid being the center of attention. Ron had a rag clamped over his nose.

"So, what happened to you?" Anna asked curiously, taking a sip of her drink.

Ron's voice was muffled by the rag. "Got in a fight with Draco Malfoy. Neville was there, too, but he took on both Crabbe and Goyle. He got knocked unconscious and was taken to the hospital wing."

Anna's eyes went wide for a moment. "Wow. Good for you guys, 'bout time someone stood up to that little snot." She patted Ron's shoulder, silently deciding she'd grab a couple treats and drop them off at the hospital wing for Neville.

XXX

Easter holidays eventually came around, but they weren't nearly as enjoyable as Christmas. That was because the Professors all piled homework on the students, leaving them little time for relaxing and enjoying the time off from classes.

The twins, of course, continued to put school work off until the last possible minute. Annabelle wasn't quite as bad as them. So, she headed to the library alone, leaving them with Lee to plot their latest prank.

As she neared the library, Hagrid came out. Perplexed as to why the groundkeeper would be in a library, Anna greeted him, "Hi Hagrid."

The half-giant spun around, his eyes wide. He was holding his hands together behind his back, as if he were hiding something. "Oh! Annabelle! Um, 'ello. What're yeh up to today?"

Anna stopped when she was in front of him, her neck tilted back to look way up at his face, which was pink-tinted under his bushy beard.

"Oh, nothing. Just heading to the library to work on a paper…Why are _you_ in the library?"

"I'm no' in the library." Hagrid said quickly.

"No, but you were." Anna pointed out, glancing at where his hands were hidden behind his back.

"Oh! Um, jus' lookin' into…some probl'ms I'm havin' with…something'." he answered vaguely.

Anna eyed him suspiciously as he started backing away.

"Anyway, be'n nice talkin' to yeh, but…gotta get back to my hut…lotta work to do." And with that, he disappeared around the corner.

Anna shook her head. "He's up to something."

XXX

Anna ended up finding out what Hagrid was up to a couple days later. Wanting to relax and reward herself for finishing all her homework with a couple days to spare, Anna headed down to Hagrid's hut to visit him, Fang, and hopefully Buckbeak.

Reaching the front door of Hagrid's hut, she knocked and waited. There was a crash and a muffled curse, which mildly confused Anna, before the door cracked open to reveal one of Hagrid's eyes.

"Oh, um, it's you." Hagrid panted, "Um, I'm kinda busy righ' now, Anna…Maybe yeh can come back another time."

Anna crossed her arms. "Alright, Hagrid, what's going on?"

Hagrid sighed. "Well,…can yeh keep a secret?"

"Of course. You do know who my friends are, don't you?" Anna answered instantly.

Hagrid chuckled before cracking the door open a bit more. "Fair 'nough. Come on in, but be careful."

Anna slipped inside and shut the door, her eyes instantly going wide when she saw what was on his table.

A small dragon with a long, skinny body, spiny wings, a long snout with wide nostrils, stubs where she guessed horns would later grow, and bright orange eyes was gobbling down whatever Hagrid was feeding it.

"Um,…that's a dragon." Anna stated obviously.

"Yep. Only a couple days old. Ain't he a cute little tyke?" Hagrid said warmly, sitting back down and scratching the dragon's head with one giant finger.

"Um,…yeah. Adorable." Anna answered, eyeing the dragon nervously. She wasn't scared of it, it was only a baby after all, but she knew from Charlie that it was illegal to keep them as pets, and they could spit fire from the moment they hatch, _and_ Hagrid's hut was made primarily of wood. "Where'd you get him?"

"Won his egg off a fella in Hog's Head over a game 'a cards." Hagrid told her, "Named him Norbert."

"Hm." Anna nodded, slowly approaching the table and sitting at the seat as far from 'Norbert' as she could get. Fang trotted over and sat on the floor next to her, resting his chin on her lap so she could pet his head. "Does Dumbledore know anything about this?" she asked carefully.

"Uh, well,…no, not really." Hagrid admitted, "An' I know what you're thinking', but I can handle him. After takin' care of Fluffy, a dragon'll be easy enough. And, um, Harry, Ron, and Hermione know about him, they were here when he hatched."

"Ah." Anna nodded again. "Hagrid…you should really be careful with this. You know keeping dragons as pets is illegal. And he'll grow soon enough, there's no way he can fit in this tiny hut forever. Don't you think…he deserves a place where he can fly when he's older, stretch his wings and all that?" she questioned carefully.

Hagrid remained silent, watching Norbert waddle in circles. The little dragon suddenly sneezed, a small spurt of fire hitting the table. Hagrid dumped his cup of tea on it, putting the fire out, even though it left a black burn on the tabletop.

Anna tried talking to Hagrid, but it was clear it was difficult for Hagrid to even think about getting rid of the baby dragon. Eventually, Anna went to visit Buckbeak for a little while before heading back up to the castle.

In the common room, she found the twins sitting with Lee, and presumably scrambling to get their homework done before break ended. She came around and plopped down on the couch next to Fred. George was on Fred's other side and Lee was in the chair nearby.

"Hey. Where were you?" Fred demanded, looking up from the essay he was writing atop one of his textbooks.

"I told you. I went to visit Hagrid and Buckbeak." Anna answered in a voice that clearly said 'duh'.

"Oh, right." Fred nodded once, as if just remembering before going back to his paper.

"Who's Buckbeak?" Lee asked, looking up from his reading.

Anna blinked wide eyes. "Wow. I've been friends with you for two years and I've never told you about Buckbeak?"

"No, I don't think you did." Lee answered with a shake of his head.

"Oh, well he's one of the Hogwarts hippogriffs."

"Hippo-what?" Lee repeated in bewilderment.

Anna gave a brief description of the creature, and how she met Buckbeak, followed by the story of Buckbeak saving her life in the Dark Forest.

Just after she'd finished telling the long story, Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the common room and came to sit near the older four.

"Hi." the three first years chorused.

"Hey, how're you guys doing?" Anna asked them.

"Fine."

"Have you still not finished your homework?" Hermione asked them in disbelief. Fred scowled at her while Anna raised her hands in a peaceful gesture.

"Don't look at me. I finished mine a few days ago."

"Teachers pet." the twins muttered under their breath. Anna sharply jabbed Fred in the ribs with her elbow, causing him to grunt in pain.

"Well,…I finished everything except my Potions essay." Anna admitted with a grin, "It's not like Snape would give me a good grade, anyway. He hates me."

"He hates you, too?" Harry asked in shock, his eyes wide.

"He hates everyone." George argued.

"But he hates Annabelle with a burning passion." Fred added.

Ron snorted. "Sounds like how much he hates Harry."

"Yeah, I heard what he did to you on your first day of Potions class." Anna told them, looking at Harry, "He did the same thing to me, too."

"Do you know why?" Harry asked, almost desperately, "It seems like some of the teachers know why he hates me, but they won't admit it."

Anna chewed her lip for a moment. She had a vague idea why Snape hated both her and Harry, from what her mum told her. But it wasn't really her place to tell him, and she didn't want to clue him in to what their connection was, should it be used against her later on.

"Well,…I don't know much, but…you know your relationship with Draco Malfoy?" Anna finally asked, ignoring that she could feel the twins' stares burning into her.

"Yeah." Harry answered slowly.

"Imagine a relationship similar to that one…but a generation ago." she answered slowly. Harry still looked confused, and his two friends next to him looked even more so. "Your dad went to Hogwarts when he was growing up, right?" Harry nodded, "So did Snape."

Harry's green eyes suddenly went wide behind his round glasses, his scar disappearing behind the fringe of his messy, black hair.

"You mean,…Snape knew my dad in school?" he repeated in disbelief.

"All I'm saying is that our parents are pretty much the same age as Snape. Your dad was Gryffindor, Snape was obviously Slytherin. The age-old rivalry." Anna finished in a tone that said she wouldn't say any more, "I know nothing more than that."

Harry nodded slowly, looking like he was barely holding back a thousand questions. Wanting to change the subject, Anna leaned her elbows forward on her legs.

"Hey, have you three seen Hagrid's latest pet? Norbert?" she asked casually. "Cute little guy?" she continued, holding her thumb and pointer finger close together to show he was little. Their eyes widened. "I was just talking to him about it, trying to convince him of, well, what's best for the little guy, you know?" Their expressions were ones of three deer caught in the headlights of a Muggle car. "I don't think I was very successful, so I hoped you guys might be able to convince him. Hey, _Charlie_ was always close to Hagrid, he might be able to convince him."

Her words must've had the desired effect, because Ron and Harry's blankly staring eyes lit up with understanding.

"Oh, yeah that might be a good idea. We'll mention it to him later." Harry nodded in agreement. "Thanks. We'll see you guys later."

"Bye." Anna and the three boys chorused as the trio left the common room once again.

"Alright, what was that?" Fred asked bluntly.

"What was what?" Anna asked innocently.

"Exactly how much do you know about Harry's parents?" George asked suspiciously. "We know you well enough to know that you were struggling not to say something." he added, pointing between himself and Fred.

"You know more than you were letting on." Fred agreed.

Anna scoffed and rolled her eyes at them. "You guys are crazy." she told them, hoping against hope she hadn't just given herself away.

XXX

Luckily, the twins and Lee dropped the subject, probably figuring she'd tell them another time. Things continued as normal for the next week, until one morning Gryffindor house woke up to find they were 150 points shorter than they'd been the night before. Of course, with Hogwarts being the gossip central it is, word spread like wildfire that Harry Potter and two other students were the cause.

Considering it knocked Gryffindor down in the ranks, losing them the lead they'd had over Slytherin, most of the house was rather bitter. Annabelle felt horrible, but pretty much everyone, even in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, treated Harry horribly. The Slytherins, however, actually thanked him in the halls because they were back in the lead.

Quidditch practices were bad, too. For the most part, things were completely the same. The team practiced as if nothing was different. However, Anna was the only one to speak to Harry directly. The rest of the team didn't talk to him, and if they had to talk _about_ him they merely referred to him as "The Seeker".

Anna would've probably been angry at Harry, too, if Hagrid hadn't told her why Harry lost those points. Him and Hermione had been out after hours, getting Norbert to some of Charlie's friends to take to Romania, which Charlie verified in a letter. She obviously couldn't give this as an answer when people asked her why she was being nice to Harry, so a few people started linking her to Harry, too. But thankfully not to the point of her being ostracized.


	20. Showdown

The rest of the year was uneventful, as far as it can be being the best friend of the Weasley twins. Annabelle spent much of her free time studying and doing homework, until the twins dragged her off for their usual mischief. When she needed to relax peacefully, Anna chose to relax at the hippogriff paddock with Buckbeak, until the end of April when Hagrid warned her not to go wandering the grounds too late at night. Apparently, something had started killing Unicorns in the Dark Forest.

Finals, as expected, were difficult and Anna was relieved when they were over. Of course, Care of Magical Creatures was a breeze, but History of Magic and Arithmany were a headache, and Anna thought she did well on the Potions exam, but Snape would never give her a better grade than necessary.

After finishing her Charms final, Anna followed the rest of the class from the classroom. Her, the twins, and Lee quickly broke away from the rest of their classmates and headed outside. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful, warm day with just a slight breeze. They dropped their bags beneath the shade of a tree and headed for the waters edge.

Anna sat down and pulled off her shoes and knee-high socks before shedding her school robes, which were growing hot in the spring sun. Now, dressed only in her grey school sweater over a white button-down, and a skirt, Anna stepped into the warm, shallow waters of the Black Lake.

The boys were quick to do the same, splashing each other. Their pants were rolled up to their knees.

Something touched Anna's ankle and she jumped back, looking down in shock. A thick, black tentacle shifted in the water, barely breaking the surface before going back down.

"Guys, it's the giant squid." Anna called over her shoulder before looking back down. She couldn't see much more, probably because the giant squid had stirred up enough mud to make it impossible to see more than a few inches under the surface.

Fred, George, and Lee waded through the water toward her, Fred holding a broken tree branch with a few green leaves.

"Whoa!" they all laughed. Fred leaned down and tickled the large tentacle with the leafy branch he was holding. It twitched a bit, splashing water over their knees and wetting the boys' pants and Anna's skirt. Anna jumped back a bit, all four of them laughing more than was probably necessary.

"I want to do that!" George declared, hurrying back toward shore and snapping a branch off the tree before hurrying back.

They spent the afternoon tickling the giant squid until it finally got sick of them and swam away. Pulling their socks and shoes back on, they hurried back to the castle for dinner. With no classes the next day, the Gryffindor common room stayed full and boisterous until midnight before people started trickling up the stairs to their dormitories.

XXX

With there being no classes the next day, Anna allowed herself a lie-in. This, however, proved to be a mistake because when she finally dragged herself from her dormitory she found the common room bustling with excited chatter.

Seeing the twins over by the couches, Anna approached them and sat in the small space between Fred and the arm of the couch.

"What's everyone so excited about?" she asked curiously.

"Where have you been?" the twins demanded.

"Sleeping." she answered as if it were obvious. "We don't have classes today, remember? Now, what's going on?"

"You'll never guess what happened last night." George stared with an excited grin.

"Apparently there was some big showdown way under the school, between Harry and Professor Quirrell." Fred added.

Anna looked at him like he was crazy. "Quirrell. As in the pale, stuttering Defense teacher? Are you sure you've got your facts straight?"

"Ron told us, and he was there for the most part. Dumbledore had to hurry down there and almost didn't get there in time. Quirrell nearly killed Harry."

"Something about a Sorcerer's Stone. Quirrell wanted it for… _You-Know-Who."_ George explained in a whisper.

"Apparently it has some power that can make you immortal or something like that." Fred added with wide eyes. "Can you imagine what would've happened if Harry hadn't stopped him? You-Know-Who would really be back, in the flesh!"

"Well, is Harry alright? Where is he?" Anna asked worriedly, looking around the common room to see if she could spot his messy black hair and glasses. But he was nowhere to be seen.

"My source says the hospital wing." Fred answered.

"Is he really hurt?" Anna asked worriedly.

The twins shrugged, though Anna could tell they were hiding the fact that they were mildly worried. "All we know is he's unconscious." George admitted quietly.

"We should get him something. Do something to cheer him up when he wakes." Fred decided determinedly.

Anna thought for a moment. "I remember hearing he likes Chocolate Frogs."

The twins grimaced at her. "How _unoriginal_ of you." the chorused.

"Everyone gets people Chocolate Frogs when they're in the hospital wing. That's so average." George added.

"Alright, and what do _you_ think we should get him?" Anna asked grouchily, crossing her arms.

The twins shared a long look before turning back to her and answering together, with absolute certainty, "A toilet seat."

Anna stared at them for a moment before dropping her forehead into her palm. "Why am I friends with you two?"

XXX

So, after breakfast Anna and the twins went into the abandoned girls bathroom on the first floor. They ignored Moaning Myrtle's moaning as they went to one of the bathroom stalls. Anna kept watch, even though no one ever went into this bathroom. There were two _booms_ before the twins reemerged from the stall, Fred holding the toilet seat, which they had blasted the hinges off of.

"Alright, lets get moving before someone confiscates it." George suggested, hurrying for the bathroom door and peaking out. When he saw that the coast was clear, he waved his hand and they hurried down the corridor to the hospital wing.

It was empty apart from Harry lying unconscious in one of the beds. His bedside table was already piled high with cards and sweets. They approached his bed and Fred placed the toilet seat on the bedside table, propped up against the wall while Anna stared down at the little first year.

He was pale and had scratches all over his face, his hands wrapped in bandages. He'd always looked a bit on the small side, but here he looked so fragile and tiny.

"He's either the luckiest kid in the world,…or the _un_ luckiest." Anna muttered, "Facing Voldemort twice in one life and still managing to survive, and even _defeat_ him."

The twins nodded silently, also looking down at the younger boy.

"It isn't visiting hours, you three." Madam Pomfrey came over. She nudged the twins back and rearranged some of Harry's gifts. When her eyes landed on the toilet seat, however, she flipped.

"What in the blazes is _that thing_ doing in my infirmary?!" she screeched, pointing at the toilet seat with a look of disgust.

"Well, we just figured Harry could use some cheering up when he wakes." Fred answered confidently while Anna cringed. They were _so_ dead.

"That is absolutely _disgusting_!" Pomfrey screeched, waving her wand and hovering the toilet seat. "That is unhygienic, having this thing around my patients. Absolutely not!" she shouted, taking the toilet seat into her office.

Fred scowled while George sighed and shrugged. "Well, we tried."

"You know, Chocolate Frogs wouldn't have been confiscated." Anna added with a smirk, crossing her arms and giving the twins a smug look.

"Shut up."

XXX

Anna tried to maintain a positive mindset during Gryffindor's Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, but without a Seeker it was next to impossible to win. And to add salt to the wound, it was the worst defeat in 300 years. Ouch. Of course, Oliver was beside himself, practically devastated, you'd think his grandmother died. Sure the rest of the team was disappointed, but most of them were just happy their Seeker was still alive after facing the darkest wizard of all time. Everyone was especially relieved when Harry woke up three days after his little 'showdown' with Quirrell.

Anna sat between the twins at the Gryffindor table for the end of the year feast. When Harry entered the room, people went out of their way to stand up and get a good look at him. Anna thought that was a bit dramatic, it was clear he didn't want the attention, but he seemed pleased no one hated him like they seemed to when he lost all those points earlier in the year.

Dumbledore called for silence as he stepped up to the podium.

"Another year gone! And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were…you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts."

Anna snorted. "I think he's talking about you two." she joked to the twins, earning herself a noogie from Fred and a poke in the ribs from George.

"Now, as I understand it," Dumbledore continued, "the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points; in third, Hufflepuff, with 352; Ravenclaw has 426 and Slytherin, 472."

The Slytherin table burst into loud cheers, while the rest of the houses clapped politely. Anna clapped three times very slowly, while the twins didn't even do that much.

"Yes, yes, well done Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account."

Instantly, silence fell over the room as everyone exchanged confused and slightly hopeful expressions.

"Ahem, I have a few last minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes… First, to Mr. Ronald Weasley…" Anna and the twins turned to stare down the table at Ron, whose face had turned purple. "…for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house 50 points."

The Gryffindor table cheered loudly. Percy even shouted over the loud noise, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"

"Second," Dumbledore continued when the volume went down again, "to Miss Hermione Granger…for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house 50 points." Anna smiled widely when she looked down the table at the muggleborn, who had buried her face in her arms, as if she had burst into tears. "Third, to Mr. Harry Potter…," the room fell into absolute silence, "for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house 60 points." Everyone cheered the loudest at these points. If Anna did the mental math correctly, they were now tied with Slytherin.

Dumbledore raised his hand, and upon seeing this a hush fell over the Great Hall. "There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom." Once again, cheers erupted from around the Hall, and Neville looked as though he may go into shock. Anna suspected those were the first points he'd ever won for Gryffindor before.

"Which means," Dumbledore continued, "we need a little change of decoration."

He waved his hands and all the Slytherin decorations and posters disappeared and Gryffindor colors filled the Hall. Everyone stood up and cheered, Gryffindors throwing their hats into the air. They had _finally_ won the House Cup!

XXX

Considering how eventful the few days after finals were, the last week of school seemed rather boring. When they got their final results back, Anna was pleased to find she did well on all of them, though she was sure she deserved a better grade in Potions, but that didn't surprise her much.

Anna rode home on the train in the same compartment as her friends, and met up with her mum on the platform. She said her goodbyes to the twins with promises to write over the summer and meet up in Diagon Alley to get their school supplies.

XXX

"Anna! Your school list is here!" Wren called up the stairs. Anna hurried from her room and down the steps. She went to the kitchen and scratched Ariel on the head from her perch on the kitchen counter, picking up her letter from next to the Barn Owl. Her mum was already sitting at the kitchen table reading something while drinking her morning tea.

Anna ripped open her letter and began muttering what was written, " _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4_ by Miranda Goshawk, _Break with a Banshee_ by Gilderoy Lockhart, _Gadding with Ghouls_ by Gilderoy Lockhart, _Holidays with Hags_ by Gilderoy Lockh- wait a minute." There were at least four more books on her supply list, all by Gilderoy Lockhart. "All my books are by _Gilderoy Lockhart_!" she exclaimed, her nose scrunching up in dislike.

"Hm, well I expect you'll be getting a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, after what happened last year." Wren murmured distractedly, "Maybe they have a different teaching method."

"But why do we need all these books! Literally, the only book on my list that isn't by _him_ is my _Standard Book of Spells_ book. Why do we need this many books for one class?" Anna complained. She didn't say out loud that she knew Lockhart's books were a good 5 Galleons apiece, and while her mother would be able to afford them with no problem, she worried about the Weasleys. They would have to buy books for five kids, as well as everything Ginny would need for her first year that they couldn't get secondhand.

Wren, however, could easily see through her daughter. "Anna, the Weasleys will be fine, I'm sure. They always manage. You know I'd help them if I could, but Molly would never let me if I asked. It would just make her feel horrible about it."

Anna nodded. "Yeah,…I know." she muttered, tossing her list onto the kitchen counter to look at another time. She had a feeling she would hate this new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.

 **XXX**

 **Sorry this chapter was fairly uneventful, at least as far as Anna's story goes, but her whole next year (Chamber of Secrets) will be somewhat eventful. Review and let me know what you all thought.**

 **And Happy New Year a few days early! : )**


	21. Fight in Flourish and Blotts

Annabelle was very excited to see the Weasleys again in Diagon Alley, especially when the twins told her that Harry had been staying with them for a few weeks and would be with the family when they went to get their school things.

Walking through the crowded streets of Diagon Alley with her mum, Anna found them easily. All the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione Granger were with Hagrid, whose head was a good meter above everyone else. Anna noticed Wren faltered at the sight of Harry among the group. Anna guessed she was thrown by how much the boy looked like his father. Or she felt guilty about being unable to get custody of him.

She didn't get to say hello to Hagrid because he disappeared just as Anna and her mum reached the group. Upon seeing her, the twins instantly gave her a bear hug each, and Ginny hurried over to give her a hug, as well. Lee Jordan showed up a minute later, just as Molly was suggesting they split up to get their individual things and then meet up at Flourish and Blotts in an hour. Anna suspected she just didn't want to deal with the twins while getting Ginny's things, because they would quickly grow bored and a bored pair of Weasley twins was just asking for trouble.

Wren went with Molly, Arthur, and Ginny; Harry, Ron, and Hermione wandered off; Percy went off on his own; and Anna went with the twins and Lee. Molly shouted after the twins, "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!"

The twins both rolled their eyes as they hurried off.

"What was that about?" Anna asked curiously, hitching her shoulder bag up a bit higher.

"Well, Harry's never used the Floo before, so he accidentally went a grate too far." Fred started.

"Wound up in Knockturn Alley. We merely asked what it was like,"

"And Mum flipped out."

Anna gave them both a look. "And I can tell she had reason to flip out. How many times have the pair of you snuck off into the Dark Forest?"

The twins didn't answer, but their devious smirks were answer enough.

They made their first stop at Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop so the twins could stock up on Filibuster Fireworks. As they were wandering, the twins filled her and Lee in on the interesting events at the Burrow, which included how they flew their father's car down to rescue Harry. The twins had flown the car several times already, once with Anna on one of her many trips to the Burrow, so they were pretty much experts.

"They put _bars_ on his _window_?" Anna repeated, her voice making it clear she was both disgusted and angered. "He's a kid, not an animal."

"Yep. So, anyway, we used the car to break them off, but they'd locked all his things in a cupboard under the stairs, so we had to pick the lock the Muggle way,"

"which proves taking Muggle Studies was worth it," George added smugly.

"and then we got all his things into the car. His Uncle nearly caught him, but we made it. And on the way home, Harry told us a rather interesting story about a house elf."

"A house elf?" Lee repeated in confusion.

"Yep." George nodded. "Some house elf named Dobby destroyed Harry's Aunt's dessert, but everyone thinks Harry did it, so he got a warning from the Ministry, and that's why they put the bars on his window in the first place. Apparently, the elf kept going on about how terrible things are going to happen at Hogwarts this year."

"The elf claimed he was trying to protect Harry." Fred added. "But we think maybe his masters sent him to stop Harry from going to Hogwarts."

"Harry admitted the only real enemy he's got that might want him to stay away from Hogwarts is Draco Malfoy."

"I've heard that name…Ron got a bloody nose fighting him at one of the Quidditch matches last year." Anna mentioned, "And now that I think about it…I've heard mum mention that name. Malfoy."

"She's probably talking about Lucius Malfoy." George suggested seriously, picking a firework off the shelf, "Dad thinks he was in You-Know-Who's inner circle back during the war. He kept claiming he didn't really mean all the things he said and did back then, but I think that's a load of rubbish."

Anna nodded slowly. The whole situation was certainly fishy.

"So, anything interesting happen at the Burrow this summer, besides your little rescue mission?" Lee asked as they paid for their fireworks and left the shop.

The twins looked at each other before George spoke. "Actually, now that you mention it…"

Fred picked up, "Percy's been acting odd all summer. He spends nearly all his time in his room, sending letters to someone. I mean, he got _12 OWLs_ and he didn't even gloat about it!"

Anna's mouth fell open. "You're kidding me. _Percy_ passing up the chance to brag? Oh, lets get ice cream, we've got time to kill." she added as an afterthought when they passed Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. "I'm buying for you two."

The twins tried arguing, but Anna insisted, eventually saying it was a reward for their valiant rescue mission. That shut them up.

Anna and the twins ordered first. Anna got the strawberry and peanut butter flavor with hot fudge and shortbread crumbles. Fred ordered a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of toffee with chocolate chips and whipped cream on top. And George ordered chocolate and raspberry ice cream with hot fudge, chopped nuts, and whipped cream. After Anna paid and they found a table, Lee joined them with a bowl of one scoop of toffee and one of apple crumble with hot caramel and chopped nuts on top.

"Okay, so Percy's acting weird and writing letters to someone." Lee picked up where they left off.

"Maybe he's got a girlfriend." Anna joked.

"Yeah right." the twins chorused with a laugh.

"Percy getting a girlfriend." Fred scoffed. "He wouldn't do anything that would distract him from his pursuit of being made Head Boy."

"Good point." Anna conceded. "So, what's your guys' opinion on our new Dark Arts Professor? I mean, all the books on my list except my Spells book are by Lockhart."

"Yeah, we talked about that at breakfast when we got our lists." Fred agreed with a grimace.

"And it's not just our year, either." George added, leaning forward on his elbows, "Percy, Ron, and Ginny have to get them all, too."

Anna frowned worriedly. "Those books are really expensive." she pointed out hesitantly, not wanting to offend her best friends.

Fred and George nodded. "Yeah. We're getting as much as we can secondhand, or passing it down." George explained quietly, "Though I doubt any of Lockhart's books will be available secondhand."

"I'm thinking me and George will just share ours. I doubt I'll even open any of them, they're ridiculous. I'm telling you, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has to be a witch, that's the only explanation for why she's making us buy all Lockhart's books."

Anna looked sharply at Fred, who she was sitting next to in the booth. She jabbed her elbow into his ribs, causing him to yelp. "I take that as a disgusting insult, Fredrick Weasley." she snapped while George and Lee snorted into their ice cream, "I'm a witch, but I happen to think Lockhart's hair stays that big because of all the hot air in his system. He's completely barmy. Don't lump me in with all the bimbos that worship the ground he walks on."

Fred smirked, Lee and George covering their mouths to quiet their laughter. "So,…people like our mum." he stated with a grin.

Anna's mouth opened, but no words came out for a moment. She certainly didn't want to insult Molly. "Everyone has at least one fault." she finally stated, earning more laughter from the boys.

Fred winked at her. "Nice save, Black." he joked, nudging her with his elbow.

XXX

Anna and the twins separated from Lee, who went to rejoin his mother in buying his school supplies. The closer they got to Flourish and Blotts, the thicker the crowd seemed to get. When they reached the bookstore, a thick line of people was trailing out the front door.

"What the bloody hell is this all about?" George asked, wrinkling his nose at the thought of people _willingly_ entering a bookstore.

Anna poked his ribs until he looked at her and she silently pointed at the upper windows. The twins both looked up, dread filling all three teens. A large banner was hanging in the window that read,

' _Gilderoy Lockhart_

 _will be signing copies of his autobiography_

' _Magical Me'_

 _today 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm'_

The twins both groaned loudly in disgust before the three of them shoved their way through the crowd and into the store, where they found the rest of their families. Molly and Wren were saving a place in line, telling the kids to go get all their books and meet them back in line.

Anna was just picking up her Spells book and moving on to start getting all the Lockhart books she needed when a hush fell over the crowd. She stretched up on her tiptoes to try and see over everyone's heads. All she could she was that someone had just been dragged up to stand by Lockhart.

Lockhart started going on some spiel about Harry Potter, and Anna instantly felt bad for the poor boy. She could tell he hated attention, and Lockhart had literally just dragged him into the spotlight, and the _Prophet_ 's front page. Then, to Anna's and the twins' horror, Lockhart moved on to announce that _he_ would be going to Hogwarts as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.

"Is Dumbledore completely insane?" George demanded, joining Fred and Anna in front of the Lockhart book display. " _Anyone_ would be better than _him_! Hell, even another Slytherin would be better."

"Barely." Fred smiled grimly.

"We'll survive. With any luck he won't last past this year, with how Hogwarts goes through Defense Professors." Anna pointed out, heading toward the line. She didn't particularly want to be any closer to Lockhart than she needed to be, so she just passed all her books to her mum to pay for and then went to wait elsewhere in the store. The twins followed her lead.

Quickly, however, her eyes found Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny having a not-so-friendly-looking chat with a pale boy who had platinum blonde hair. Instinctively, Anna headed toward them. She just reached them when Ron dropped his books and lunged for the boy, his face red. Harry and Hermione barely managed to grab his jacket to stop him.

"Ron!" Arthur's voice sounded over the crowd. Anna stepped to the side and wrapped her arm around Ginny as Arthur and the twins struggled through the crowd to reach them. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, well, Arthur Weasley." A tall man who looked like an older version of the pale boy, with long, platinum hair stepped up and sneered at Arthur.

"Lucius." Arthur returned tightly. That's when Anna realized who this was. Lucius Malfoy and his son, Draco.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear. All those raids…I hope they're paying you overtime." Lucius remarked before pulling Ginny's battered and worn copy of _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ from her cauldron. Anna instinctively tightened her grip around the young girl's shoulders. "Obviously not." Lucius commented as he looked the book over, "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?" he sneered.

Anna felt anger burn in her stomach, and noticed Arthur's face turning a very dark red.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." Arthur countered tensely.

"Clearly." Lucius drawled, glancing over Anna's shoulder to where Hermione's parents, both Muggles, were standing. Then his eyes trailed down to meet Anna's eyes. She felt the twins instinctively step closer to her, their arms brushing hers. "Muggles, half-bloods, blood traitors…and I thought your family could sink no lower-"

Arthur snapped at that comment, throwing himself at Lucius Malfoy and knocking him back into a bookshelf. Everyone backed away, the twins pulling Anna and Ginny away as books flew from the shelf and rained down on the two fighting wizards.

"Get him, Dad!" Fred shouted, one hand still on Anna's shoulder.

Molly, who had hurried over with Wren, shouted, "No, Arthur, no!"

An Assistant tried to step in and stop them, but it did little good, it was as if the tiny man was invisible. Then, by some miracle, Hagrid hurried through the door of the shop, pushed through the crowd of people, and managed to pull the men apart by the back of their cloaks. Getting a good look at their faces, Arthur had a cut lip and Malfoy a black eye.

Lucius thrust Ginny's Transfiguration book at her, which surprisingly wasn't anymore damaged than before the fight. "Here, girl, take your book, it's the best your father can give you." With that, Lucius yanked himself free of Hagrid's grip and stalked from the store with Draco on his heels.

"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur." Hagrid told him, nearly lifting Arthur into the air as he helped him straighten his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that. No Malfoy's worth listenin' ter, bad blood, that's what it is. Come on now, let's get outta here."

They regrouped and started heading for the door, though Anna noticed her mum had come up and gripped her shoulder, tightening her hold at Hagrid's words.

When they reached the street outside, Molly's red face clued Anna in to her outburst seconds before it happened. "A _fine_ example to set for your children… _brawling_ in public… _what_ Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought-"

"He was pleased." Fred cut in, ignoring Anna's warning look. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the _Daily Prophet_ if he'd be able to work the fight into his report, said it was all publicity-"

Anna jabbed Fred sharply in the ribs to shut him up, as Molly's face was turning near purple now.

"Well, we'd better get going." Wren suggested, wrapping her arm around Anna's shoulders. "I wanted to get some groceries on the way home."

Wren quickly hugged Molly and Arthur goodbye while Anna hugged the twins and Ginny. With that, the families all went their separate ways until they would meet again September 1st.

XXX

Annabelle sat in a train compartment with Lee, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie. She kept anxiously peaking out the train window at the large clock hanging on the brick wall. It was 10:56, and the train left at 11:00, but the twins, or any of the Weasleys for that matter, had yet to make an appearance.

"I'm sure they'll get here soon." said Lee positively, "You know how they are. Love to make an entrance." But Anna could see him glancing at the clock, too.

Just then, the compartment door slid open and all their heads snapped up. Fred and George entered and slid the door shut behind them, plopping down on the bench next to Anna. She could see their noses flaring as they nearly panted, suggesting they'd been running.

"Where were you two? We thought the train might leave without you." Anna told them.

"We were running a bit late. Had to keep going back home because we kept forgetting things." Fred admitted with a grin.

"First I forgot my box of Filibuster Fireworks, which you know I can't leave home without." George stated with a smirk.

"Then, I forgot my broom, which would've been a tragedy." Fred added.

"And then Ginny forgot her diary." George finished, rolling his eyes. "It's a miracle we got here on time."

"I'll say." Anna murmured with wide eyes.

They were quickly drawn into a game of Exploding Snap, and bought a few treats off the trolley when it came by. About twenty minutes into the ride, the compartment door slid open and Hermione hesitantly peaked her head inside, Ginny standing right behind her.

"What's up, Granger?" Fred asked.

"Well, we were just wondering if you've seen Harry and Ron." she admitted, "We can't find them anywhere, and Ginny said the last time she saw them was before she got on the platform."

Anna exchanged a glance with the twins.

"Well, they were the last to go through the barrier." George said, "I'm sure they're somewhere around. If you don't find them on the train, you'll probably find them at the feast or something."

Hermione and Ginny both nodded, though they didn't look reassured as they shut the door and continued on.

"It's nice of Hermione to hang out with Ginny." Anna commented lightly as she waited for her turn in the game, "Even though she's older, they're close to the same age."

XXX

Anna followed Katie and the twins to the Gryffindor table. She sat next to Katie, still listening intently to her story about her grandparents visiting over the summer. Fred sat on Anna's other side and George sat next to him, with Lee, Ang, and Alicia sitting across from them. Hermione sat with them, having still not found Harry and Ron.

That's when they heard it. Whispers were flying like crazy as people sat down, a newspaper being passed about the Hall.

According to the brief whispers Anna and the twins overheard, Harry and Ron were in trouble for flying a car to school, were seen by multiple Muggles, and they crashed the car into the Whomping Willow.

Anna turned and stared wide-eyed at the twins.

"Your mum is going to kill them."

Fred suddenly snorted. "Five Sickles she yells at Ron, but not Harry."

George laughed. "You're on."

The whispers only fell silent when the first years entered the Great Hall for Sorting. Anna spotted Ginny walking nervously, and when she caught her eye, she waved to reassure her. Ginny smiled weakly in return.

As usual, the Sorting took forever, and Ginny was one of the last to be sorted, obviously being placed in Gryffindor. Anna and the twins actually stood up and cheered, making her feel much better as she sat with her fellow first years.

The house elves outdid themselves with the feast, as always. But everyone in the Great Hall couldn't help noticing that Harry Potter and Ron Weasley never made it to the feast. This only seemed to confirm everyone's suspicions.

No one saw the pair until well after the feast. Nearly every Gryffindor sat in the common room waiting anxiously for their return. After a while, the portrait swung open and Anna barely caught a glimpse of red hair and black hair before the pair was yanked inside. Hermione Granger climbed in after them as the whole crowd swarmed them.

"Brilliant!" Lee yelled as he, Anna, and the twins pushed their way to the front, "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years-" he exclaimed as people patted Ron and Harry on the backs.

"Why couldn't we've come in the car, eh?" the twins demanded as one.

Anna smiled, noticing both young boys had bright red faces and embarrassed smiles. However, they saw something over Anna's shoulder, so they quickly excused themselves on the grounds that they were tired and hurried up the steps to their dormitory. A quick glance at what they'd spotted, Anna saw a very angry Percy Weasley. Running away was probably a smart move on their part. Percy looked ready to explode.


	22. Mudblood

Breakfast the next day was a normal affair, at first. Until the mail was delivered As owls came swooping in over the breakfast tables, Anna saw a large, gray owl that she recognized heading for their table. She poked George on the shoulder and pointed at Errol just as he crashed down the table from them, knocking into Hermione's milk jug and spraying the surrounding students with milk and feathers. Errol slumped down on the table, his feet in the air and a red envelope in his beak.

Fred quickly turned to Anna and George, an excited grin on his face. "He got a Howler!"

The twins leaned forward to watch in anticipation while Anna covered her mouth. It appeared Ron would have to open the Howler, probably from his mum, in front of the whole Great Hall.

Ron tentatively took the envelope out of Errol's beak and flipped it open. Sound burst from the piece of paper and echoed around the hall, causing silence to fall everywhere else.

 **"RONALD WEASLEY! STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU,"** Everyone in the Hall stared at Ron, whose face had turned nearly purple, **"YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE-"** Ron sank low in his seat until only his red forehead was visible. Anna herself winced in sympathy.

 **"-LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED-"** Anna's eyes shifted to look at Harry, who was sitting next to Ron. He was looking at the table, as if he was trying to ignore the loud voice.

 **"-ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED - YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME."** With that, the red envelope burst into flames and curled into ashes, which was perfectly symbolic of Molly's rage, in Anna's opinion. Several people laughed before slowly things went back to normal.

Anna shook her head, turning back to the twins in time to see George hand Fred five Sickles, grumbling under his breath.

"I feel bad for them, but at the same time, there were other ways for them to get to the school." Anna stated as she ate another bite of scrambled eggs.

It wasn't long before McGonagall came down the table, passing out everyone's schedules. Anna and the twins had Charms, which was also the only class they had that day.

"Perfect start to the year." George grinned as they finished eating and headed to class.

XXX

Annabelle was woken long before she was ready the first Saturday of the year by someone hissing her name and shaking her shoulder. Angelina only stopped when Anna sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Get up. Wood wants us to meet in the changing room in fifteen minutes." she whispered, trying not to wake the one girl in the room who wasn't on the Quidditch team. Anna, Ang, and Alicia were Chasers, and Katie was a reserve. The other girls were in the middle of changing.

Looking out the window, Anna groaned quietly. "It's Saturday. And the sun's not even up." she complained as she climbed out of bed and grabbed her clothes.

The first few days of classes had been okay, for the most part. Ron, Harry, and Hermione told Anna and the twins that Lockhart, during his first class, had released a bunch of Cornish Pixies into the class, but couldn't get them back in. So, he left the three second years to gather them up themselves. After that blunder, however, he'd taken to spending his classes mostly talking about himself. This really sucked, because fourth year Gryffindors had _two hours_ of Defense Against the Dark Arts on Thursday afternoons.

Anna had never fallen asleep in class before, even in Professor Binns' classes, but Lockhart successfully managed to put her to sleep while talking about what products he used on his hair and how he won some smile award.

Once the girls were all changed, they grabbed their brooms and left the common room. They met up with Fred and George, who were leaving about the same time. Everyone was half-asleep, Fred yawned loudly and George managed to run into a wall on the way down to the pitch.

Oliver was the first in the changing room, obviously. Everyone sat down while they waited for Harry, who arrived a few minutes later. By the time he joined them, Alicia was nodding off on the wall behind her, the twins were struggling to keep their puffy eyes open, Anna had her head rested against Fred's shoulder with her eyes half-closed, and Katie and Angelina were yawning repeatedly.

"There you are, Harry, what kept you?" Wood asked briskly as Harry sat down. Not waiting for an answer, he swept on, "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference…" Wood's voice faded into a drone as he lifted up a diagram of a Quidditch pitch with lines, arrows, and crosses in different colored ink. At that point Anna's eyes fell closed as she dozed off on Fred's shoulder while Fred's head fell forward onto Alicia's shoulder, loud snores erupting from him.

Anna wasn't sure how long Wood's speech went, but his abrupt, "So," jerked everyone out of their slumbers. Anna slowly lifted her head from Fred's shoulder and sat up mostly straight. "Is that clear? Any questions?"

"I've got a question, Oliver." George spoke up, looking bleary-eyed, "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake?"

Anna snorted and faked a cough to hide her laughter while Oliver glowered at the whole team.

"Now, listen here, you lot. We should've won the Quidditch Cup last year. We're easily the best team. But unfortunately, owing to circumstances beyond our control," Anna glanced at Harry, who shifted guiltily in his seat. Anna nearly wanted to scold Wood like a petulant child for making the poor kid feel worse than he already did. "So this year, we train harder than ever before…Okay, let's go and put our new theories into practice!" Wood finally shouted, grabbing his broomstick and leaving the locker room. Anna stood up and grabbed her broom, following the rest of the team outside.

The sun was now completely up, but a little mist was still hanging over the grass from earlier in the morning. She saw Harry pause to talk to Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in the stands, and Anna's stomach grumbled jealously when she saw them eating toast.

Wanting to distract herself from the thought of food, Anna mounted her broom and shot into the air. Fred and George quickly flanked her and Harry joined them not long after. The crisp wind in her face finally woke Anna up completely. Soon, all four of them were racing each other around the field at full speed. As they made another pass of one side of the stands, Anna heard several clicks the same moment Fred asked loudly over the whistling wind, "What's that funny clicking noise?"

Anna looked over her shoulder and saw a small boy sitting in the top of the stands with mousy brown hair and a camera in front of his face. It seemed the clicking sound of his camera snapping pictures was magnified by the empty stadium.

"Look this way, Harry! This way!" the boy called.

"Who's that?" Fred asked curiously.

"No idea." Harry said quickly before speeding off to the opposite end of the field. As Anna and the twins followed, she had the suspicion Harry knew exactly who the boy was. She could remember seeing a first year with a camera around the castle the past few days, and she assumed it was the same boy.

"What's going on?" Wood flew up next to them, frowning toward the boy in the stands. "Why's that first year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Slytherin spy, trying to find out about our new training program."

"He's in Gryffindor." Harry was quick to point out. Two thoughts popped into Anna's head. One, Harry just confirmed he did, indeed, know who the first year was. And two, Wood was seriously paranoid, but that wasn't new.

"And the Slytherins don't need a spy, Oliver." George announced, bringing Anna from her thoughts.

"What makes you say that?" Oliver asked testily, his shoulders tensing. Anna and Fred looked curiously at George, too.

"Because they're here in person." George answered, pointing across the pitch to where several people in green robes were walking onto the field with broomsticks in hand.

"I don't believe it." Wood hissed in outrage. "I booked the field for today! We'll see about this!" And with that, Wood shot for the ground and landed hard, stumbling as he dismounted his broom. Anna, the twins, and Harry quickly followed him to back him up.

"Flint!" Wood shouted as they walked toward the Slytherins, "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"

Flint, who was much larger than Wood, and had a face that looked part troll, with large, twisted teeth, shifty gray eyes, and course black hair, answered casually, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."

Anna stood next to Fred, as the twins and Harry flanked Oliver. Angelina, Katie, and Alicia, who had noticed the disturbance, were quick to join their team. Anna also noticed that there weren't any girls on the Slytherin team, just large, burly boys, which in her opinion just showed that Slytherins were sexist pigs.

"But I booked the field! I booked it!" Wood practically spat in anger, looking mildly deranged, in Anna's opinion.

"Ah, but I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape." Flint smirked, pulling a piece of parchment from his pocket and reading it, " _'I, Professor, S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker.'_ "

Anna snatched the parchment from his hand and read it for herself, muttering, "I'm surprised you can actually read it." Unfortunately, the note appeared to be authentic. She'd recognize Snape's handwriting anywhere after the number of notes she'd received from him reminding her and the twins of their detentions.

"You've got a new Seeker? Where?" Wood demanded.

All the Slytherins were smirking as the large, bulky guys stepped aside, allowing a much smaller boy to step forward. Anna recognized his pale face and slicked blonde hair instantly.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" Fred asked, looking the boy over with something akin to hatred.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father." Flint smirked, as did the whole team. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."

Anna's eyes went wide as every member of the other team held out matching, brand new brooms. Nimbus 2001s.

"Very latest model." Flint added smugly, "Only came out last month. I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps," he smiled nastily at the twins and Anna. The twins clutched their Cleansweep Fives, and Anna rubbed her thumb affectionately over the smooth handle of her own Cleansweep Seven. "sweeps the board with them."

Anna glowered at the Slytherins as Ron and Hermione came over, wanting to know what was happening.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley." Malfoy told him smugly, "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team. Good aren't they?" he asked as Ron gaped at the brooms, "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them."

The Slytherin team howled with laughter as if it was the funniest joke in the world. Anna could feel her hair turning red as anger boiled in her veins. But before she could doing something, a sharp, clear voice broke through the noise.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to _buy_ their way in." Everyone turned to look at Hermione as she spoke, " _They_ got in on pure talent."

All the Gryffindor players smiled, and Anna exchanged a proud grin with George. Malfoy, however, dropped his smug grin, glared at Hermione, and spat venomously, "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."

Malfoy's words sparked an instant uproar. Alicia shrieked, "How dare you!" Anna dropped her broom on the ground as she and the twins lunged forward, only to be intercepted by Flint.

Through the insanity, Ron pulled his wand from his robes and shouted, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!"

There was a loud bang and a flash of green light. Everyone froze, only really seeing Ron fly backward and onto the grass. All the Gryffindors hurried over to him, Hermione's worried voice shouting over them, "Ron! Ron! Are you alright?"

Ron had slowly managed to sit up as everyone gathered worriedly around him. He opened his mouth, as if about to answer, but instead of words, he burped up slugs onto his lap.

Anna covered her mouth with her hand, swallowing back the urge to gag in disgust. Everyone else stepped back and grimaced in pity and disgust. The Slytherins behind them, however, burst into laughter. Anna looked over her shoulder and glared at them. Flint was doubled over and clutching his stomach as he laughed, and Malfoy was actually on all fours, banging the ground with his fist.

Ignoring them, Anna turned back in time to see Ron burp up more large, glistening slugs. She again grimaced in disgust, her empty stomach clenching with the urge to vomit.

Harry was the one to finally get past his disgust and try to help his best friend. "We'd better get him to Hagrid's, it's nearest." Hermione nodded, and the two lifted Ron up by the arms. As they lead him away, Anna turned back to look at the Slytherins.

"Did you see that idiot? His wand's a danger to everyone in the castle!" Malfoy laughed, earning another bout of laughter from his team.

Enraged, Anna marched toward the team, ignoring Wood saying her name warningly.

Seeing her approaching, Flint smirked, but stepped casually in front of Malfoy.

"You-you _arse_!" she shouted, stopping only when she was inches from Flint, tilting her head back to glare up at him. "How dare you! You lot think you're better than us just because you've got new brooms? Hermione was right, you wouldn't have let that little twit on the team if his father hadn't bought you those brooms! Everyone on the Gryffindor team _earned_ their place, unlike you tossers."

"Really? Well, I didn't see your team holding the Quidditch Cup last year, Black." Flint mocked.

"Our Seeker's got more talent for Quidditch in his little finger than you do in your entire team." Anna spat.

Flint's smug expression flickered, anger filling his gray eyes as he stepped closer, looking straight down his nose at Anna. She was tempted to step back, but she refused to be afraid. She was in Gryffindor for a reason.

"You think so, Black?" Flint whispered angrily, "We'll fly circles around your pathetic little team on their second-rate brooms. Especially those pathetic blood traitors you call friends. Their brooms probably cost more than a months worth of food for their pathetic family."

Anna knew her hair was bright red, because she could feel the color seeping from her scalp, and Flint glanced at her hair in amusement. Slowly, she stepped back, but she wasn't backing down. She drew her wand from the pocket of her robes.

She raised her wand and white light flashed from the tip of her wand. It hit Flint in the face, and he fell back onto the ground. Yells of shock erupted from both teams as her teammates swarmed her, someone grabbing her free hand.

Flint slowly sat up and touched his face. His skin had swollen and one of his eyes had been reduced to a narrow slit because of the Stinging Jinx she'd hit him with. His one eye that wasn't swollen shut met hers, burning with rage as his team helped him to his feet.

"This isn't over, Black!" he yelled as the Slytherins hurried off the field.

Anna took a deep breath, the anger slowly leaving her as she tried to make her hair go back to brown. She'd noticed the past couple years that the black layer underneath her hair had been getting smaller and turning more to a very dark brown instead of pitch black.

Laughter suddenly caught her attention as someone wrapped their arms around her from behind. She was lifted and spun in circles, making her laugh before her feet touched the ground again.

"Anna, that was bloody brilliant!" Fred laughed as a few of the others patted her back. The twins were both beaming proudly.

"That'll teach that git to say things he can't back up." Angelina agreed, giving Anna a high-five.

"You should've held your temper a bit better, Anna." Oliver warned, and Alicia looked just as worried, "Granted, they had it coming, don't get me wrong, but I don't doubt they'll either get you in trouble or get revenge. Just watch yourself, okay?"

Unfortunately, Wood turned out to be right. The Slytherin team had gone straight to Snape and told him what happened, well, _their_ idea of what happened, and Anna was soon notified she'd lost Gryffindor fifteen points and would be serving detention with Snape for a week. However, in her opinion, it was still worth it.

XXX

Anna trudged through the halls behind the other girls on the Quidditch team, all of them cold and soaked through to the bone, dressed in their Quidditch uniforms and carrying their brooms. It was about halfway through October, and it had been raining nearly everyday, which meant they hadn't had a dry practice all year.

Walking down the corridor, Anna just passed a corner and ran into someone who had turned that corner.

"Whoa, sorry, I-" Anna cut off when she saw familiar red hair atop a head that went to her chin in height. Steam was coming from the person's ears, making the redhead look as if her head was on fire. "Ginny, what happened to you?" Anna asked in confusion.

Ginny was paler than normal and she looked smaller, if that were possible.

"Oh, um,…Percy thought I had a cold and he made me take a Pepperup Potion." she mumbled, glancing nervously over her shoulder as if she expected Percy to jump out and force another potion down her throat.

"Oh, well,…in his defense, lots of people have been catching colds with all this rain. I had to take a Pepperup Potion last week because of all the practices we've had in the rain." Anna stated gently, pointing at her wet mop of hair sticking to her face.

Instead of smiling, Ginny's frown remained. "Still,…I told him I felt fine, but he wouldn't listen. And now I've got steam coming out my ears that won't stop!" she wailed, pointing at both of her ears, where steam was still indeed coming out.

Anna bit her lip for a moment. "I know Percy can be a prat sometimes, but I'm sure he had good intentions, it wasn't just to make you miserable, Ginny. He just didn't want you to get sick. How about this? I'm just heading to my dormitory to shower and change into warm clothes, but we've got plenty of time before dinner. You want to come with me to the kitchens for some tea or hot chocolate or whatever's down there?"

Ginny smiled and looked as if she'd want nothing more than to say yes, but then her eyes changed and her smile fell to a frown, as if she'd just remembered something.

"Um,…actually, I just remembered…I've got a…Charms essay I need to write. Sorry." she mumbled, ducking her head and hurrying away.

Anna watched her with a frown, her brows furrowed with worry. She a feeling something was wrong with Ginny. She just wasn't sure what.

XXX

"Shh!" Anna snapped, turning and smacking George in the chest after he accidentally thumped his shoulder against the wood of the tall Quidditch stands.

"Oh, piss off, it's not like they can hear me from up in the air." George retorted.

Anna stuck her tongue out before crouching down and peaking around the corner of the stands on the Quidditch pitch. Fred and George stuck their heads around the corner above her head. The sight before them nearly made them sick.

They were spying on the Slytherin Quidditch practice on their new brooms. They were hoping they would find that the other team sucked and they could reassure their team. But that wasn't exactly the case.

The Slytherins were little more than green blurs up in the sky as they flew about on their new brooms, passing the Quaffle back and forth between them. They were actually _good_.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Anna murmured, watching the Slytherin Chasers particularly close.

"They're like little, green missiles." George murmured.

Fred cursed under his breath. "Come on, we'd better report back to Oliver and the team."

Anna and George nodded in agreement, slowly backing away and turning to follow Fred off the pitch.

XXX

Anna and the twins passed along what they saw the next day at Quidditch practice. Their bad news combined with the rain and mud they had to practice in made for a very dreary practice. Everyone was relieved when it was finally over, and Anna was quick to take a hot shower to chase away the chill. She didn't need another cold.

When she was done, she curled up in warm, comfy clothes on the couch to work on her homework. She was interrupted, however, when the portrait swung open with a bang and the twins scurried in, snickering like idiots.

"What are you two up to?" she asked suspiciously, eyeing them and the fact that Fred had something cupped in his hands.

"Nothing." they chorused, but they didn't even try to pretend to be innocent.

"Bullocks. Now, what's in your hand?" she demanded.

Fred sighed before approaching her and showing her what was in his hand. It was a small, red salamander.

"We _rescued_ it from the Care of Magical Creatures classroom." Fred answered with a smirk.

"Uh huh." Anna nodded slowly. "Aaaannd…why?" she asked, knowing the twins had an ulterior motive.

"Well, they live in fire," George started, "so we were just wondering what would happen if we fed one a Filibuster Firework." Fred handed the salamander to George before running up the staircase to the boys' dormitory.

Anna stared after Fred with wide eyes before turning back to George. "You're joking."

"Nope." George grinned.

"But…you don't know what'll happen to it." Anna pointed out worriedly.

"Well, I doubt it'll kill it or something. I mean, they're born in fire, aren't they? A little firework shouldn't do much." George pointed out.

Anna hummed doubtfully as Fred returned, hiding a Filibuster Firework behind his back. Fred sat next to Anna, so that she was sandwiched between the twins. George gently placed the salamander on the table and Fred held the firework out in front of the little critter. It sniffed the firework for a moment before snatching it from Fred's hand and swallowing it whole.

Anna watched with baited breath as the salamander started smoldering. A crowd of students had wandered over, curious about what was going on.

Anna and Fred lurched away from each other when the salamander suddenly whizzed into the air between them, sparks and loud bangs erupting from it as it whirled around the room.

"What is going on here?" Percy bellowed as several kids shrieked and ducked to avoid being hit by the flying salamander. Anna covered her head with her book, her eyes fixed on the salamander. The twins had their heads low but were laughing.

Percy had stalked over to the twins and yelled at them until his voice was nearly gone, while the salamander finally landed and escaped into the common room fireplace with one last explosion.

"I will report this to Professor McGonagall! And I'm taking ten points from Gryffindor!" Percy continued to rant, causing the twins to roll their eyes.

Anna smirked at them when Percy finally walked away. "Well, I suppose that was funny."


	23. Slytherins and Bludgers

**I don't normally put author's notes at the beginning of chapters, but I felt I should give you all a warning. Something happens later on in this chapter. I tried not to make it too horribly graphic, but still. Some might think it should be rated M, but I don't want to make the whole story M just for this one chapter. Just fair warning. I'm honestly extremely nervous about how some readers are going to react, so…let me know what you think.**

 **XXX**

Annabelle followed the Weasley twins into the Great Hall for the Halloween feast. A wide smile stretched across her face and she quickly yanked on Fred's arm to gain his attention before pointing across the hall, where several of Hagrid's pumpkins had been carved into lanterns. They were big enough for three grown men to easily sit inside. The twins voiced how cool it was as they made their way to the table to sit with their friends.

They didn't have any pranks planned for the night, having been too busy with Quidditch practice and everything else. Especially with their first match coming up in a week.

The feast was as amazing as always, with enough food to stuff everyone and an entertaining performance at the end with a popular band. Anna had never heard of them before, but they were still amazing.

Fred and George had to help Anna stand up, as she was too full and drowsy and nearly tripped on her own feet. She wrapped her arms around the twins' necks playfully, and they helped her walk, though her feet nearly left the ground with the height difference. As they followed their housemates down the corridors, she playfully swung herself back and forth, making the twins laugh and nearly stumble under the weight and the surprise. Lee and the other girls got a kick out of this, as well.

They noticed everyone in front of them had suddenly stopped walking, causing a huge wall of people in the corridor. Anna stopped swinging as the twins set her feet back on the ground. A feeling of foreboding had swept the corridor, and Anna had a feeling something bad had happened.

"What's going on?" Anna asked, looking up at George because the twins were taller than her.

"Can't tell." Fred answered, standing on his tiptoes to get a good look. Frustrated, he started pushing through the crowd. Anna and George quickly followed him through the brief path he created. After a few moments, Fred had come to an abrupt stop, causing Anna to crash into his back and George to crash into her. She was briefly sandwiched between the twins before she stepped to the side and see what had caused Fred to stop.

When her brain registered what she was seeing, a chill ran up her spine.

There was writing on the wall that read:

' _The Chamber of Secrets has been opened._

 _Enemies of the Heir, Beware.'_

Anna swallowed thickly. She was unsure what the words meant, but she knew it wasn't good. Her eyes traveled around and realized Harry, Ron, and Hermione were standing right in front of it, looking as if they were caught doing something horrible. However, when Anna saw some pointing fingers, she turned and found Mrs. Norris, Filch's horrible cat, hanging by the tail from a torch bracket, her body stiff as if she had been dead for hours.

"Enemies of the Heir beware!" a familiar voice crowed joyfully. Anna dragged her eyes from the cat to see Draco Malfoy standing in front of the crowd in the other corridor. His glittering gray eyes traveled to Hermione and the boys. "You'll be next, Mudbloods!" he sneered.

Anna's fist clenched at the swear, and she could feel her hair once again turning red. George bumped the back of his hand against hers.

"Calm down." he whispered. Anna nodded, taking a deep breath and forcing her hair to go back to brown.

"What's going on here?" the familiar, horrible voice of Argus Filch, the castle caretaker, called from behind Anna. She stepped to the side with the twins as the crowd parted, allowing the man to get through. Anna was close enough that she could peaked around Fred's shoulder and see Filch's face the second he saw Mrs. Norris hanging from the torch bracket. His face went pale, his eyes widened and he looked horrorstruck.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he demanded frantically, stumbling forward a few steps. His eyes landed on Harry, with Ron and Hermione on either side of him. " _You! You!_ You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you!" Anna's hand instinctively went to her wand in her pocket, "I'll-"

" _Argus!_ " Dumbledore's loud, commanding voice echoed in the corridor, and the crowd parted again to allow the Headmaster and several teachers to pass through. Anna relaxed again, her hand falling to her side. He took the cat gently from the torch bracket. "Come with me, Argus. You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Grander."

The three students and Filch followed Dumbledore, Lockhart quick to volunteer his office since it was the closest. The crowd remained silent, letting them pass through with McGonagall and Snape on their heels.

"Right. Everyone, to your common rooms. Nothing to see here." Percy announced importantly, ushering everyone through the corridors.

George gently took Anna's hand in his while Fred wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they headed down the corridor with their classmates. They suddenly didn't feel so carefree.

"Why do things always have to happen on Halloween?" Anna muttered.

XXX

Anna woke up rather groggy the next morning, having not gotten much sleep the night before. The message on the wall had spooked her more than she let on, at least to the twins.

She heard muffled voices in the common room and as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw the twins sitting on the couch on either side of Ginny.

"There's nothing to be scared of. These things don't happen often at Hogwarts, Ginny." Fred was assuring her. Ginny was clutching a pillow to her chest, staring blankly at the fire with tears shining in her brown eyes. George's arm was wrapped around her shoulders.

"Everything okay?" Anna asked gently.

The three Weasleys looked up at her, and the twins gave her sad smiles. Ginny just glanced at her.

"Yeah, it's fine." she mumbled before standing up. "I'm going to breakfast. I'll see you guys later."

With that, the youngest Weasley left out the portrait hole. Anna slowly sat on the couch next to Fred, who scooted over to make more room for her.

"What was that all about?" she asked quietly.

The twins shrugged.

"She was upset about Mrs. Norris. She's a cat lover, you know." George answered.

"We were trying to tell her that these kinds of things don't happen at Hogwarts often, but I don't think she believes us." Fred added with another sad smile.

"To be fair, after what happened last year with the Sorcerer's Stone, I'm starting to question how safe Hogwarts is." Anna pointed out, partially joking.

XXX

Over the following days, the school started finding out information and spreading facts about something called the Chamber of Secrets, a legendary secret chamber that Salazar Slytherin created. It was said to be home to a monster that only Slytherin could control, and at one point he supposedly set it loose on Muggleborn students, wanting to purge the school of those who he felt didn't deserve to study magic. Of course, many Professors tried to assure the students that such a chamber had never been found and likely didn't exist. Most students didn't believe that in the slightest.

One evening, a few days after Halloween, Anna was walking down the corridor with her book bag slung over her shoulder. She had a free period and was heading to the kitchens for a snack before getting to work on her latest essay. She turned a corner near the girls lavatory and paused at the sound of someone crying. Hesitating for a moment, Anna turned and entered the bathroom.

"Hello?" she called hesitantly, feeling a sense of déjà vu from the year before when she found Hermione crying in the bathroom.

"Anna?" A stall door cracked open and Ginny peaked out. Her long, red hair was messy, her face was blotchy and tearstained, and her eyes were red and puffy.

"Ginny? What's wrong?" Anna asked worriedly, dropping her book bag on the ground and wrapping the younger girl in a hug. Ginny hugged her back tightly, burying her face in her chest as she continued to sob.

Anna was at a loss for what to do. She hadn't known Ginny that well before this year, but from the stories she'd heard and the conversations they'd had, she always seemed like a strong, independent little firecracker. But it seemed like she was always crying or scared. Anna gently ran her hand through the younger girl's hair, trying to sooth her.

"Ginny, it's okay. Everything will be fine. Why don't you tell me what's going on?" she suggested gently, "Is someone bullying you?"

Ginny sniffed, but her crying seemed to have quieted down. Finally, she pulled away and scrubbed her hands over her eyes and down her face.

"No. No, I'm okay. I'm sorry, I…I guess I'm just worried. You don't think Ron, Harry, and Hermione will be expelled for hurting Mrs. Norris, do you? I know they didn't do it, but will they be blamed for it?" she asked worriedly, looking on the verge of tears again.

"No, Ginny I'm sure they won't get in trouble. Dumbledore knows they don't have the capability to Petrify Mrs. Norris." Anna assured her.

Ginny still didn't look convinced, but she managed to calm herself down a bit.

"Hey, you want me to show you where the kitchens are?" Anna offered. "I know I've offered before, but I was just heading there for a snack before I work on my Charms essay. You wanna join me?"

Ginny chewed on her lip for a moment before slowly nodding her head.

Anna smiled and took Ginny's hand, leading her from the bathroom and heading down the corridor toward where the kitchen was. They were starting to talk about Ginny's classes, and which one was her favorite, when something big and furry jumped out at them from behind a suit of armor with a loud growl.

Both girls screamed and jumped back in shock before a familiar laugh made Anna scowl. George stepped out from behind the same suit of armor. With a wave of his wand, the fur melted off the other creature to reveal Fred. Ginny peaked out from behind Anna's back, her body trembling with fear. Both twins were laughing heartily.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you two?" Anna demanded, glancing down at where Ginny was now scowling at her brothers.

"What?" the twins asked innocently.

"We just wanted to make our baby sister smile." George announced, giving Ginny an adorable, cheesy smile.

Ginny glared at them for a moment before her eyes fell to the ground. "Anna, I think I'm going to go to my dormitory. Thank you for talking to me, but I'd rather be alone."

With that, the young girl walked around her brothers and headed down the corridor. Anna glared at the twins for a moment before hurrying after her.

"Ginny, wait." she called, slowing only when she was walking next to the little redhead. "Are you sure you don't want to join me?" she tried again.

Ginny nodded. "It's fine, Anna. You don't have to bother with me."

"I'm not 'bothering' with you, I want to be your friend." Anna argued quietly. She thought for a moment, glancing back at the twins before looking back down at Ginny with a small smirk. "You wanna get back at your brothers sometime?"

Ginny peaked up at her, looking like her curiosity was battling with her bad mood. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there's this thing called The Bat Bogey Hex I learned recently. It turns your victims bogeys into big bats that fly out their nose. I bet your brothers wouldn't pick on you anymore if you used that Hex on them." she suggested temptingly.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Ginny's face before she looked past Anna's shoulder. Her face paled and her smile fell again before she quickly backed away from Anna.

"A-actually, well, maybe some other time. I really need to go." she said quickly before hurrying off down the corridor toward the common room.

Completely bewildered, Anna looked over her shoulder and saw Percy walking down the corridor with another prefect. Sighing in defeat, Anna moved on to get her snack from the kitchen.

XXX

The morning of Gryffindor's Quidditch match against Slytherin found all the members of the Gryffindor team eating their breakfast in tense silence. Fred and George tried to diffuse the tension with jokes, but they fell flat.

When they made the trip down to the pitch, it was muggy and cloudy, with a hint of thunder in the air. The team quickly changed in the changing room before sitting down and listening to Oliver's pep talk, Anna sitting on the floor in front of the twins.

"Slytherin has better brooms than us, no point in denying it." Wood started bluntly, "But we've got better _people_ on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weather-"

"Too true." George muttered leaning down so Anna and Fred could hear him. "I haven't been properly dry since August."

Anna fought a smile.

"-and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team." With his chest heaving from his passionate speech, Wood turned to Harry. "It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy, or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to."

"So no pressure, Harry." Fred turned and winked at Harry while Anna scowled at Oliver. What kind of person tells a twelve year old to 'get the Snitch or die trying'?

With Oliver's speech out of the way, the team grabbed their brooms and made their way onto the pitch. Three-fourths of the crowd cheered loudly for them, while the Slytherins booed. When they reached the middle of the pitch, Flint and Oliver shook hands, looking as if they were trying to crush each other's hand in the process.

Madam Hooch stepped forward. "On my whistle. Three…Two…One." When her shrill whistle rang through the air, the players mounted their brooms and rose into the air.

Angelina knocked the Quaffle to Anna and instantly, everyone flew down the pitch toward the Slytherin goal posts. She was nearly there when a Bludger flew in front of her, causing her to jerk to a stop. A Slytherin grabbed the Quaffle from her hands and flew back the way she'd come. As she was flying, she noticed Harry flying the same direction with a Bludger right on his tail. He was flying right for Fred, who was waiting with his Beater's Bat. Harry ducked under Fred, who whacked the Bludger away. Anna wouldn't have thought anything of it, except the Bludger actually turned around on its own and started going after Harry again!

Anna didn't have time to think about it, because Slytherin managed to score and Alicia got the Quaffle back.

Rain started falling lightly from the sky, a couple drops hitting Anna in the eye as she flew alongside Alicia as backup. A Slytherin came at them, and Alicia passed the Quaffle to Anna before slamming into the burly Slytherin Chaser. Anna swerved around them and flew toward the goal in an attempt to score. But a Slytherin rammed his shoulder into her. She dropped the Quaffle, but Angelina flew by and snatched it from the air.

Unfortunately, a Slytherin Beater knocked a Bludger at her, preventing her from scoring as Slytherin once again gained possession of the Quaffle. Anna glanced around as everyone flew back toward the Gryffindor goals, trying to find the twins, who should've kept that Bludger from stopping Ang. Looking way up in the air, she found them. Fred and George were tightly flanking Harry, and it looked like the Bludger kept coming back at them even after the twins whacked it away. Something was wrong. Bludgers weren't supposed to do that. They flew in a straight line until they hit something.

Several minutes passed, and Slytherin managed to get a 60 to 0 lead before George signaled to Wood for a timeout. After a few moments, Madam Hooch whistled, signaling for a timeout, and everyone dove for the ground. The Gryffindor team all huddled together on one side of the pitch.

"What's going on?" Wood demanded as they all pressed close together. "We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?" he asked, looking angrily between the twins.

"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry, Oliver." George answered angrily, "Someone's fixed it, it won't leave Harry alone. It hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it."

"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then…" Wood pointed out anxiously.

"And I doubt any Slytherin is smart enough to pull something like this off. I've never heard of something like this." Anna pointed out, her hands crossed under her armpits to keep warm.

Harry glanced over his shoulder and saw Madam Hooch crossing the field toward them. "Listen, with you two flying around me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."

"Don't be thick." Fred argued before anyone else could. "It'll take your head off."

"The twins have their bats to hit it away, you haven't got anything to protect yourself apart from your flying." Anna pointed out.

Oliver looked between Anna, the twins, and Harry, undecided on what to do, which angered Anna even more.

"Oliver, this is insane." Alicia snapped angrily, clearly feeling the same as Anna about their Captain's indecision. "You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry-"

"It we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" Harry argued, "And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a crazy Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!"

"This is all your fault." George suddenly snapped, glaring at Oliver. "'Get the Snitch or die trying', what a stupid thing to tell him-"

Hooch arrived, interrupting their conversation. "Ready to resume play?"

Wood took one look at the determination on Harry's face, and seemed to know it was a lost cause.

"Alright. Fred, George, you heard Harry. Leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own."

Anna scowled and the twins glared at Oliver as they walked back onto the pitch. It was raining harder than before, and Anna's ponytail was completely drenched and sticking to the back of her robes. They mounted their brooms and, on Madam Hooch's whistle, they kicked off the ground. Anna couldn't help noticing the Bludger instantly went for Harry while Angelina grabbed the Quaffle.

Anna tried to get Harry out of her mind, worrying about him would just put off her game, even though at this point all she really cared about was Harry getting out of this game in one piece.

A Slytherin went to intercept Ang, who instinctively passed the Quaffle to Anna, who had a clear shot. But the Keeper hit the ball away, and right into a Slytherin Chaser's hands.

Anna slowly headed after the rest of the team down the pitch, her brain registering the fact that the crowd…was laughing? Looking down, she followed where most of the crowd was pointing and found Harry a ways up, doing funny-looking flips and twirls. At first glance, it did look rather ridiculous, but it was clear to her that he was just trying to keep the Bludger from taking his head off.

Adrian Pucey got the Quaffle and tried to score past Wood, but failed, which was a relief.

Anna had just gotten the Quaffle, which Alicia passed to her, when the crowd suddenly started yelling. Everyone stopped playing to see what was happening. Harry was diving for the ground. Anna just registered the dive wasn't intentional, when he hit the mud hard and rolled off his broom. Cheers erupted from the crowd when Lee announced Harry had managed to catch the Snitch.

Hearing something whistle past her ear, Anna's eyes widened.

"Fred, the Bludger!" she screamed. The rogue Bludger was heading straight for Harry, who looked unconscious on the ground and unable to defend himself. Fred heard her and zoomed toward the ground, his bat at the ready. He whacked the Bludger away for the moment as everyone else landed and surrounded Harry.

Anna's gut clenched when she landed and got a good look at him. He was unconscious and his arm was bent at a weird angle, she guessed the Bludger had managed to get him just before his dive.

"Excuse me, pardon me." a familiar voice called over the worried crowd as Lockhart pushed his way through, kneeling at Harry's side. Anna heard a loud thump and looked over her shoulder. George had apparently hit the ground with the Bludger in his hands and was wrestling with it with Fred joining him.

Harry seemed to slowly wake up. As soon as he saw Lockhart, he moaned, "Oh, no, not you."

Any other time, Anna would've laughed, but she was too sick with worry.

Lockhart chuckled, glancing around at the crowd. "Doesn't know what he's saying."

"I beg to differ." Anna muttered under her breath.

"Not to worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm."

" _No!_ I'll keep it like this, thanks…" Harry told him, and began struggling to sit up. He eventually failed and flopped back down.

Several loud clicks and flashes drew Anna's eyes to the little first year snapping pictures.

"I don't want a photo of this, Colin." Harry said loudly. It was mildly amusing he instantly knew who it was.

"Lie back, Harry." Lockhart soothed, "It's a simple charm I've used countless times-"

"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" Harry asked through clenched teeth.

"He should, really Professor." Wood suggested, though it sounded weird when his face with split with a huge grin. "Great capture, Harry, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say-"

Something hit the back of Anna's leg and she looked over her shoulder to see the twins were still wrestling with the rogue Bludger, trying and failing to get it back in the box. The damn thing was still putting up a fight. Deciding they could use some help, Anna turned and pulled her wand from her robe pocket.

" _Immobulus_."

The Bludger stopped moving and the twins sighed in relief. Fred hefted the heavy ball into his arms and latched it down in the box.

"Thanks." George panted, wincing and holding his ribs, which were probably bruised.

"No problem." Anna grinned.

A string of disgusted murmurs drew their attention back to Harry just in time to see Harry's arm flopping around like a skin-colored rubber glove. Anna gagged, turning away quickly.

"Ah. Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen." Lockhart stated, "But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind."

"Broken? There aren't any bones in his arm." Anna muttered, peaking back down at Harry.

It was quickly suggested that Ron and Hermione help Harry up to the hospital wing, and most of the team followed worriedly.

Anna glanced down at the crate and turned to the twins, who looked even more worried. Probably because, even though they never said it, they thought of Harry like another brother, and they'd failed to protect him, in their minds.

"Why don't you two go with him?" she suggested gently, "I'll meet you at the hospital wing in a bit. I'm going to put the crate in the broom shed for Hooch to pick up later." The Slytherins certainly wouldn't do it, and the teachers were too worried about Harry to worry about something as trivial as the crate.

"You sure?" Fred asked, the twins looked down at her worriedly even as they started to follow the team.

"I'll be fine. I'll put a Feather-light charm on it. Go on." she waved them on. They gave her one more worried look before hurrying after the others.

Anna sighed and waved her wand, muttering the incantation for the Feather-light charm. She put her wand away and lifted the crate easily under one arm. She lifted her broom with her other hand and headed for the shed.

She kicked the door open and slipped inside, placing the crate by the far wall. She had just straightened back up when the door slammed shut.

Spinning around in shock, Anna found herself face-to-face with Marcus Flint. There were two Slytherins behind him that she didn't get a good look at.

"Hello, Black." Marcus smirked cruelly at her.

"Flint. What the hell are you doing?" Anna demanded, pulling her wand from her robes just in case.

"Getting payback." he answered, waving his wand and saying, " _Expelliarmus_."

Anna's wand flew from her hand and into Flint's, which he then tossed out the door of the shed. One of the other Slytherins shut the door, locked it, and put a Silencing Charm around the shed. Anna instinctively stepped backward into the far wall when they all started approaching her.

Flint nodded toward her, and the other two rushed her. Anna screamed and kicked as they each grabbed one of her arms. They lifted her off the ground, only to slam her down on the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She coughed, but continued to kick and struggle.

"You can scream all you want, Black." Marcus told her with a smirk, "No one can hear you. No one's coming to save you." Anna stopped screaming, but continued to struggle and kick. "Hold her still." Marcus snapped at the other two.

One of the boys kept one hand on her arm, and used his other hand to shove her shoulder against the ground, pinning her more effectively to the ground. Flint stepped closer and started pulling his pants down.

"What are you doing?" Anna squeaked, her stomach clenching with nausea.

Flint smirked evilly at her. "What does it look like?" he asked, kneeling down near her feet. Then, he yanked Anna's pants down. Realization hit her and she started kicking her feet and screaming, succeeding in kicking Flint in the stomach. He _oof_ ed and glared down at her. Acting quickly, he leaned over her and punched her in the face. Anna cried out in pain, her face tingling numbly for a few moments.

Before she could think, Flint was back between her legs and then there was a slice of searing, tearing pain inside her. She screamed bloody murder, her back arching off the ground to try and stop it or move away, but it just caused more pain.

Flint pulled out just as there was a loud _boom_ outside. Everyone paused, but Anna was panting, tears streaming down her face as agony filled her entire body.

Another loud _boom_ sounded, this time blasting the door clean off its hinges. The Slytherins quickly scrambled away from Anna as dust filled the room. Swallowing thickly, Anna sat up and reached down to try and pull her pants back up, not wanting whoever it was to know what happened. She tried to ignore the spot of blood on the ground and drops of it trickling from between her legs.

The dust cleared to reveal George Weasley, standing in the doorway looking near murderous. His eyes moved from Anna, who was standing shakily, to Flint and the other Slytherins.

"Get. Off. Her." he growled angrily, a wand in each hand.

"We were just talking." Flint smirked casually, having managed to pull his pants back up under his robes and look completely composed.

"Get out before I hit you with more than a Stinging Jinx." George snarled, stepping into the shed and to the side, leaving the doorway open for them to leave.

Flint smirked at him and lead the other Slytherins from the shed.

Anna was trying to take deep breaths, but it seemed every breath cause another stab of pain somewhere in her body. She wasn't really paying attention until she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up and met George's worried eyes.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" he asked quietly, his eyes already lingering on her cheek, which was probably bruising from Flint's punch.

Anna swallowed and decided then she wouldn't tell him, or anyone, just how much Flint had hurt her. "I'm fine."

"He hit you." George whispered venomously.

"George, it's fine." Anna shook her head, looking down at her feet.

George sighed harshly.

"How'd you know I was in trouble?" she asked quietly.

"I thought you were taking too long, so I left Fred and headed back down here. Your wand was on the ground outside, and when I knocked on the door no one answered. I tried opening the door, but it was locked. When I listened through the door, I could only hear the occasional buzzing sound, like when Dad puts a Silencing Charm on the kitchen sometimes. So, I figured something was wrong and blasted the door off."

Anna nodded and gave him a small smile. "Well, thanks."

George gave her another smile, though it was forced. "What did they do?"

Anna shrugged. "Just knocked me around and hit me. It's fine, though."

"We should tell McGonagall." George argued.

"She's got enough to worry about." Anna said quickly. "Really, George, it's fine. Let's get going." she quickly stepped around him and hurried from the shed, trying not to wince every time she walked. It was painful down between her legs. It felt like she'd been ripped in two.

"Here." George walked at her side, handing her wand back to her.

"Thanks." She smiled and placed her wand back in her pocket. After a few moments, she spoke again. "Hey, George? Do you think…maybe we could just…not tell Fred about this?"

"What?" George demanded, actually freezing mid-step before hurrying to keep up with her again. "Three Slytherins just attacked you and you want to keep it a secret, not just from McGonagall, but Fred, too? Did you get a brain injury? What does Flint have over you?" he demanded angrily.

"He doesn't have anything over me." Anna answered as if the idea was ridiculous. "I just…I just don't see the point in telling Fred, okay? You know how he is. He'd freak out, go all overprotective and everything. Please, George, please just don't tell him. Just say I tripped and hit my face on the crate. He'd believe that." she suggested hopefully.

George looked at her like she was an idiot. "I've never once lied to Fred in my whole life. I _can't_ lie to him, it's physically impossible. He'd know I was lying."

"Then don't lie. Just say you don't know what happened. That you just found me in the shed. That's not a lie."

"Yeah, except you were surrounded by slimy Slytherins." George snapped.

"Please, George." she pleaded. "Please, just forget this whole thing happened."

George eyed her angrily for a moment before his eyes softened, taking in her bruised, desperate, scared face. Finally, he sighed. "Alright, fine. _For now_ , I won't tell Fred or anyone what happened. Can't make any promises, though."

"That's all I ask."

They were quiet for several moments before George decided to break the tense silence that had fallen over them. "So, we're having a party in the common room. We were going to have it in the hospital wing, to cheer Harry up, but Pomfrey threw us out."

Anna forced a smile. "Sounds like fun."


	24. Feeling Blue

**I hope you all bear with me on this. I know some of you don't like Anna being raped by Flint, but I swear I have my reasons. Anna's whole story is basically about her finding her courage, so she's going to get knocked down a few times. Just be patient with her for this chapter.**

 **I'm also going to be keeping this story rated T. There may be times when they refer to the rape, but I won't be having anything near as bad as last chapter in the rest of the stories, and if I do, I'll give you a heads up.**

 **XXX**

Annabelle had lasted about twenty minutes at the party in the Gryffindor common room before making an excuse and going up to her dormitory. She'd taken a long, steaming hot shower, trying to wash away the evening's events. Even though she was clean of blood, sweat, and grime when she stepped out of the shower an hour later, she still felt disgusting and filthy.

It wasn't long before the twins noticed something was wrong. Though that may have been due to the fact that Anna's hair was a dark grayish blue and her skin was very pale when she walked downstairs to the common room the next morning. She tried with all her might to make her hair return to normal, but she had to focus solely on her hair to do so, which she obviously couldn't do for very long. The grayish-blue color was clearly a connection to her mood, which was somewhat depressive, but she just told the twins she was trying something new. They didn't believe her.

That same morning, everyone started whispering about Colin Creevey, a first year, being Petrified the night before. It made the threat of the Chamber of Secrets seem all the more real.

"So, since that Herbology essay is due today, any chance you'll let me copy yours real quick?" Fred asked Anna hopefully at breakfast Monday morning.

"Sure." Anna muttered distractedly, poking at her scrambled eggs without eating them. The thought of putting anything in her stomach made her ill.

Fred's hopeful smile fell. "Anna, please just tell us what's wrong." he pleaded. "You _never_ let us copy off you."

"Then why bother asking?" she asked tiredly.

"'Cause it's fun when you say no." George answered.

"Whatever. I'm going to class." Anna stood up, grabbed her book bag, and left the Great Hall. The twins quickly got up to follow her, but thankfully they didn't continue their earlier conversation. Anna silently told herself she needed to grow up and stop acting depressed, or they would eventually force answers out of her.

She had decided while waiting for sleep to come the night after the Slytherins' attack on her that she didn't want to tell the twins. Part of it was that they would freak out. They'd overreact and probably kill Flint, or insist she tell a teacher. But if she was being honest, most of it was that she didn't want to taint them. The twins were far from innocent, but they were so happy and full of laughter. She didn't want them to realize that there was evil in the world, even within Hogwarts' walls. It would kill them. They'd blame themselves for not going to the shed with her. And they'd look at her differently. They finally saw her as an equal, because she wasn't as cowardly as she was their first year, but if they found out what happened they'd treat her like a baby. She just couldn't tell them what happened.

Anna noticed Ginny walking down the corridor towards them, probably going to breakfast. She looked as scared and pale as Anna was. Suddenly, Anna was aware she was alone in the corridor.

Just as she was passing Ginny, George leapt out from behind a statue in the corridor, covered in nasty boils.

Anna barely flinched, but Ginny jerked violently and screamed.

"Stop it!" Ginny screamed, sounding on the verge of tears. Anna frowned sympathetically, stepping forward and wrapping an arm around Ginny's shoulders. The girl tensed but didn't pull away.

"What's going on here?" an arrogant voice sounded from behind Anna just as Percy Weasley reached them, frowning at them all. Noticing the boils on George's skin before said twin waved his wand and made them disappear, Percy's face went red.

"What have I told you two about scaring her like that?" he scolded. "She's-"

He cut off when Ginny wrenched herself from Anna's arm and ran back the way she'd come, her shoes echoing off the walls every time they hit the stone ground.

"Nice going, Percy. You scared her off." Fred commented dryly.

" _I_ scared her off?" Percy repeated in disbelief, his tone still haughty as if the thought were ridiculous. "You two are the ones who keep jumping out at her like that."

"We're trying to cheer her up." George explained in exasperation, "That's always cheered her up before."

"Nonetheless, it needs to stop, she's been having nightmares. She's probably distraught because the Creevey boy who was Petrified sat next to her in Charms. If you two don't stop this nonsense now, I'll write to Mother and tell her about it."

The twins scowled mutinously at their brother, because whether they admitted it or not, the wrath of their mother was really the only thing that could make them behave. Usually.

Silently, Anna turned away from the three redheads and headed for class. She couldn't stand being around something that was usually a source of amusement for her, while it now didn't get hardly any reaction.

XXX

"We need to do something." Fred decided firmly as he plopped down on George's bed one evening a week later. "Something's wrong, I just wish she'd tell us." he added miserably. Ever since they became friends, Fred, George, and Anna shared everything. There were rarely any secrets between the three, but now it seemed their best friend was a shell of herself.

George pulled his shirt off, letting it hang in his hands thoughtfully for a moment. "What if…we owled Charlie?' he asked hesitantly, "I mean, if anyone could get something out of her it'd be Charlie."

Fred nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess. So…should we owl him?"

George nodded and Fred dug out a spare parchment and quill to write a letter.

 _Charlie,_

 _It's Fred and George, we're writing about Anna. Something's wrong with her and we don't know what it is. Her hair's gone bluish-gray, her skin's pale, she's quiet, distracted, she rarely eats, and she just seems so sad, or numb, even. She insists nothing's wrong but we don't believe her. We were hoping if anyone could talk to her, it'd be you. Please help us out?_

 _Fred_ _ **and George**_

George signed his own name himself at the end and Fred folded the parchment up and wrote Charlie's name on the front.

"We'll send it off tomorrow before breakfast." he decided quietly, determined to help his best friend even if she didn't want it.

XXX

During the following week, the twins would continuously try and get Anna to tell them what was wrong. She tried, she really tried, to act normal around them to make them stop worrying. And once in a while she succeeded, until something happened. Whether they passed Flint in the corridor, or someone asked about her still-blue-gray hair, or someone mentioned Quidditch. Anything that reminded her of that horrible afternoon set her back.

So instead, she tried avoiding the twins if she felt the cloudy, depressing feeling closing in on her. She'd hide out in the library or her dormitory, working on homework. She soon found that assignments that typically took so long now took twice as long to complete. This was due to the fact that Anna sometimes spaced out, unable to remain focused for long periods of time.

Anna completely forgot about Christmas holidays until the second week of December, when she saw McGonagall going around and collecting names of students who were staying at Hogwarts for the holiday.

Anna scrambled to dig her quill, inkwell, and a scrap of parchment from her book bag. The twins watched her curiously as she quickly scribbled a note down.

 _Mum,_

 _If it's okay, I'm going to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. The twins mentioned staying as well, so I'm just going to keep them out of trouble. Sorry for the short notice. Tell Grandma, Grandpa, and everyone I love them and I'll miss them._

 _Love,_

 _Anna_

She quickly rushed from the Great Hall and ran as fast as she could to the owlry. She was panting and out of breath when she finally reached it, searching the room for her owl. She'd realized when she saw McGonagall that she simply couldn't go home this soon. She couldn't face her mother knowing what Flint had done to her, what he'd stolen from her. She wouldn't be able to look her mum in the eyes, and she'd quickly know something was wrong. So it was better all around for Anna to just stay at Hogwarts for Christmas.

She let out a sharp whistle. "Ariel?" she called.

Sharp talons prickled her shoulder and Anna looked at her shoulder to see her Barn Owl on her shoulder. The beautiful little owl leaned over and rubbed her head against Anna's cheek. Anna smiled and scratched her head before holding up the folded piece of parchment.

"Ariel, can you take this to my mum?" she asked.

Ariel hooted and took the parchment from her fingers. With a flap of her wings, the owl flew from the room. Anna stood at the open window, watching as she became a speck on the horizon.

The door to the owlry swung open and Anna looked over her shoulder at the twins. Fred was carrying her book bag and they both looked perturbed.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Fred demanded.

"What was so important for you to send that you couldn't have given us a heads-up?" George added.

"Sorry. I was just owling my mum." Anna answered.

"And you had to do it right this second because?" Fred urged.

Anna bit her lip. "I just…decided I want to stay here for Christmas."

The twins exchanged a doubtful, worried look. "Why?" they asked when they both looked back at her.

"Well,…I've never been here for Christmas before, and you guys are staying this year." she answered nervously.

The Weasley children were staying behind for Christmas instead of going to visit Bill with their parents, which Anna didn't entirely understand.

"Well, yeah…" George couldn't seem to think of anything to say in response.

"Look, I just wanted to get the letter to my mum before I signed up to stay, and McGonagall's passing the signup out as we speak. It's not that big of a deal." Anna cut in quickly, wanting to end the conversation.

The twins eyed her doubtfully, but she swept past them, grabbing her bag off Fred's shoulder as she went.

XXX

Anna did indeed sign the sheet to say she was staying at Hogwarts over Christmas, as did all the Weasley kids. About a week later, Anna was sitting on the common room couch, working on her Defense Against the Darks Arts essay, which unfortunately was over one of Lockhart's books.

"Anna?…Anna!" someone shook her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts. Fred, George, Lee, and Katie were all looking at her with worried expressions.

"Are you okay?" Katie asked worriedly.

Anna cleared her throat and faked a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"We've been calling your name for a few minutes now." Fred pointed out.

"I was working on my essay." she answered.

"You've been working on that same essay all afternoon, and…" Fred looked down at it, "You've only written a sentence!"

Anna looked down and saw that Fred was right. There was only one sentence on the parchment, and her quill had long since dried of ink while she sat there, lost in her thoughts.

"Oh. I guess I just can't focus." she gave a lame excuse.

The twins glanced at each other before Lee spoke up. "Well, you can finish it later. Come on, the Dueling Club's starting in ten minutes." The Dueling Club was something Lockhart decided to start so everyone knew how to defend themselves.

Everyone stood up, but Anna remained where she was. "Actually,…you guys go ahead. I really need to finish this. You can just pass on what he says to me later or something. I'll be fine."

"Anna-" George tried to argue.

"Go!" Anna snapped. She instantly felt guilty when the twins flinched. "Sorry, just go. Please." she whispered, looking down at her parchment.

It was silent for a moment before the others slowly left the common room without another word. As soon as the portrait swung shut, Anna put her things in her bag and went up to her dormitory, curling up in a ball on her bed. She stared blankly at the far wall.

She didn't know what to do. She was changing into a different person, and she couldn't shake it. She hated this. The twins just wanted to help her, but she couldn't drag them into it. Just thinking of what Flint did to her killed her a little inside. She was tainted, broken. If the twins knew…part of her was afraid they'd want nothing to do with her, but deep down she knew that wasn't true. But it would hurt them, and she couldn't let that happen.

Anna didn't doze off, but it almost seemed like she blinked and suddenly the girls; Ang, Alicia, and Katie, were standing in front of her, staring at her with worry.

Anna swallowed and looked up at them. "Hey. Back already?" she whispered.

"Yeah, the Dueling Club just ended." Ang answered quietly.

"I thought you were working on your essay. When we got back and you weren't in the common room, the twins got worried." Katie told her.

Anna looked down at where her hand was rested on her sheet. "Oh, right. I finished it and came up here for a nap. I'm fine." she told them quietly.

"Oh. Well, they wanted to talk to you. They asked us to send you down if you were up here. A lot happened at the Dueling Club you'd be interested in hearing." Katie told her.

Anna thought before shaking her head. "I'd rather not, actually. Could you just tell them I fell asleep?"

She instantly regretted that suggestion. She never lied to the twins if she could help it, and the other girls knew that. They exchanged worried looks.

"Well, won't you be down for dinner?" Alicia asked.

"No, I went to the kitchens for a snack before I came up here. I'm still full." Anna lied. She just wasn't hungry. The thought of eating made her sick.

Katie looked at Anna for a long moment, as if she were looking right through her. "Why don't you two go down and talk to the boys?" Katie told the others. "I need to read a chapter for class, and I'd rather have some peace and quiet."

Angelina and Alicia nodded, looking relieved and understanding. It was obvious Katie just wanted to be alone with Anna. As soon as the other girls left, Katie sat down on the edge of Anna's bed.

"Do you want to tell me what's been bothering you lately?" she asked gently.

Anna instinctively went to say there was nothing wrong, but her throat closed on the words and her eyes started stinging with tears. She quickly shook her head and turned her face into her pillow. Katie rested her hand gently on Anna's shoulder.

"Anna, please. Something's wrong, we all know it. Let someone help you." Katie pleaded.

"I can't Katie." Anna pleaded. "Really, it's nothing for anyone to worry about, please. Just drop it."

Katie sighed, shaking her head sadly. "Anna, when will you learn that you aren't alone? You don't have to go through whatever this is on your own."

Anna looked away as a tear slipped down her cheek. "I know."

XXX

Anna managed to get Katie to drop it, though Katie refused to let her sit alone for hours. The only time she could get away from the persistent third year was when she went down to visit Buckbeak. Whether it be in the library, common room, or dormitory; Katie always seemed to find her and sit with her, though she never pushed for information, which Anna greatly appreciated. It was a good distraction.

The next morning, she heard what happened at the Dueling Club that the twins were so eager to tell her about. Apparently, Harry Potter could speak Parseltongue and tried to make a snake attack Justin Finch-Fletchley. Now everyone was saying Harry was the Heir of Slytherin. Anna, personally, thought this was ridiculous. Harry's best friend, Hermione, was a Muggleborn. Slytherin wanted to get rid of Muggleborns. Although, the talking to snakes thing was a bit creepy. She couldn't explain that one.

A blizzard swept through the grounds during the night, sometime after the Dueling club ended, meaning a few classes, like Herbology, had been cancelled.

"Accio chocolate." Professor Flitwick stated clearly, causing a chocolate bar to go zooming from the opposite side of the room and right into his hands. "The trick is to keep the object you want to summon clear in your mind. Now, you've all got your chocolate bar in front of you, give it a try and when you've got the charm down perfectly, you may eat your chocolate bar." he told them with a generous smile, causing a few people, Fred and George included, to whoop happily before getting their wands out. Flitwick had widened their tables so that the chocolate bars at the other end were a good meter and a half in front of them.

"Ms. Black?" Anna blinked and looked up and then down to see the short Professor Flitwick looking up at her from next to her table. "Did you have a question?" he asked gently.

Blinking several times, Anna looked around and realized they were supposed to be summoning their chocolate bars. She'd spaced out yet again. Even the twins, who were sitting next to her, were concentrating on the task at hand.

Anna swallowed and looked back down at her teacher. "Um, no thank you, Professor. I think I've got it." she told him, trying to put confidence in her voice that she didn't really feel.

"Alright, then. Just give me a call if you need help." he told her kindly before moving to a student who was having issues.

Taking a deep breath, Anna picked up her wand and glanced around. She watched Fred, who was sitting next to her, very closely. She watched his wand movement before turning back to her chocolate bar.

" _Accio chocolate_." she said clearly. The bar shifted toward her but otherwise didn't move. Taking a deep breath, Anna repeated, " _Accio chocolate_."

She had to do this a couple more times before the bar flew into her waiting hand. She smiled a small smile at her accomplishment before sliding the bar across the desk back to where it was. She repeated the spell until she succeeded in summoning the chocolate bar three times in a row with no problem.

After the bar was back in her hand, she looked over at the twins. They had both managed to summon their chocolate the second time and pretty much perfected it right away, so they were both munching away happily on their chocolate. But Anna wasn't hungry, and wasn't in the mood for chocolate. So she slid the bar across the table until it slid to a stop in front of Fred.

He looked down at it before looking over at her in confusion. "What?"

"I'm not hungry. You two can shared it." Anna shrugged.

The twins exchanged a worried look, which Anna was sure she'd seen them do more in the past month than the nearly four years she'd known them.

"But it's chocolate." they told her as if it were obvious.

"Yeah."

"Why don't you want to eat a free chocolate bar in class?" Fred emphasized, George nodding frantically behind her.

Anna shrugged again and looked down at her desktop. "I'm not hungry."

Fred's brows furrowed even lower over his eyes. "Anna,…you barely ate a piece of toast at breakfast this morning."

Anna swallowed, trying to think of a reasonable response.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by the familiar voice of Peeves the Poltergeist shouting from down the corridor, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAACK!"

Anna's classmates were already scrambling out of their seats and rushing to the door by the second word, pushing at each other to get out first. Anna kept a firm grip on the back of Fred's robes so as not to be left behind as he rushed to get to the front. Their class was one of the last to get there, but they managed to push their way close enough to the front to see what was happening. What they saw made them freeze.

Justin Finch-Fletchley, a second year, was laying frozen on the floor, much like Mrs. Norris had been on Halloween, and Nearly-Headless Nick was floating in the air with his head flopped over, eyes staring blankly, and smoke emanating from his transparent body. And once again, Harry was found at the scene of the crime.

Shouts and worried muttering erupted loudly in the hall, several people giving Harry accusing looks and pointing. A loud bang rang out, causing instant silence to fall over them as Professor McGonagall made her way through the crowd.

Anna was numb, staring blankly at Nearly-Headless Nick's body. Something moved just past the ghost and her eyes shifted to see Marcus Flint. He met her eyes at the same moment and a cruel smirk spread over his face. His brows jumped once suggestively and Anna shivered, instinctively stepping closer to Fred. Misinterpreting her fear, Fred silently wrapped his arm comfortingly around her shoulder, holding her close to his side. No matter what he was comforting her about, she appreciated it either way.


	25. The Truth

Anna was sat next to Fred on the common room couch later that same night, trying to read a chapter for Transfiguration. The twins were chatting with Lee about a prank they were planning. Anna hated that she didn't even care enough to help them plan their pranks. She missed it so much, but she couldn't put forth the effort or passion.

A light tapping sound came from the window on the far side of the common room. A sixth year boy opened the window and an unfamiliar screech owl flew in, landing on the arm of the couch next to Anna. She only looked up when it nibbled on her ear. Seeing a letter tied to the owl's leg, she untied it. Once it was free of it's burden, the owl swooped back out the window.

Anna unfolded the parchment and began to read.

 _Anna,_

 _Hope you're having a good Christmas break, I heard you and most of my siblings are staying at Hogwarts this year. That should be fun._

 _Pleasantries aside, there is a reason I'm writing to you. The twins wrote to me a while back and mentioned you weren't doing so well. I know you well enough to know that if you refuse to talk about it, you have a reason. Whether it's a good reason or a bad one is debatable, I'm sure. But you know I care about you, and Fred and George are very worried about you. You know you can talk to me about anything, I'll always be here to listen and be there for you as best as I can, no matter where I'm at. But the twins care about you just as much, and they're there with you. Anna, if something's hurting you, let them in. You know as well as I do that they can help you._

 _I'm not trying to tell you what to do, I'm just reminding you you're not alone. Please write back sometime, and let someone in, whether it's me, the twins, or someone else._

 _Love,_

 _Charlie_

Anna swallowed thickly, a few tears running down her cheeks. However, despite how touching the letter was, she felt anger burn in her stomach. Her head snapped up to stare at the twins, who were watching her worriedly with Lee.

"You wrote to Charlie?" she whispered venomously.

The twins instantly gulped.

"Anna-"

"What the hell's wrong with you?" she snapped, standing up. The common room quieted just a little as a few people turned to watch. "My life is none of your concern and you had no right to talk to Charlie about it, he has enough to worry about!"

"We just wanted to help you-"

"I don't need your help! I'm fine, perfectly fine!"

"Your hair and how you've been acting lately says otherwise." Fred argued, actually glaring up at her. Before she could retaliate, he swept on, "Why are you so mad? We just want to help you. I thought we were best friends, Annabelle. We're doing everything we can to help you, but you just keep pushing us away."

Anna wasn't sure what to say to that, but while she struggled to think of a response, George spoke up, just loud enough that her, Fred, and Lee were the only ones who could hear him.

"Anna…is this about what happened after our last Quidditch match?"

Anna's blood went cold as she stared at George with wide-eyed horror.

"Wait, what happened after the match?" Fred demanded, just a bit louder than his twin as he looked between them. "Something happened and you didn't tell me?!" he asked in disbelief.

George didn't respond, his eyes staring unwaveringly into Anna's.

"George-"

"Don't try lying your way out of this, Anna." George interrupted, "I'm right, aren't I?"

"What happened?" Fred demanded. "Is this the real reason she came back with a bruise on her face?" Anna had told him that she'd tripped and hit her face into the crate, but he'd doubted that story from the beginning.

Anna's words froze in her throat, making it difficult to breathe. Feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand up, she glanced around the room. By now, most of the common room's inhabitants were watching the exchange. Feeling sick to her stomach, Anna let the letter fall from her fingers as she spun around and raced out of the portrait hole. She heard the twins shout after her, their footsteps echoing as they ran after her, but she just kept running.

After a few minutes, her blurry vision spotted a familiar tapestry hanging from the wall. She rushed to it and pushed the tapestry aside to reveal a small alcove, just tall enough for a first year to stand up straight, and big enough around for about five grown people to sit snuggly together. She quickly slipped inside and sat against the far wall.

She tried to steady her breathing as she heard the twins' footsteps coming closer. When she saw their shadows pass and stop in front of the tapestry, she held her breath, trying not to make any sound.

"Did you see which way she went?" George asked, sounding frustrated.

"No. Maybe she turned the corner up ahead?" Fred asked.

"Maybe. But maybe we should go back and get the map instead of wasting time looking around."

"Good idea."

With that, their footsteps retreated back the way they'd come. Only when it was silent again did Anna release the breath she'd been holding. She knew she should probably move hiding places soon, but she was just so tired. Tired of hurting, running, pretending. She was just tired.

She pulled her wand from her pocket, waving it and making a blanket and pillow appear. Curling up in a ball, Anna laid her head down on the pillow and tried to fall asleep.

XXX

The twins ran all the way back to the common room and up the stairs to their dormitory, not even acknowledging anyone or anything. Fred quickly pulled the Marauder's Map out from under his bed.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." he muttered, tapping his wand against the surface of the worn parchment. Both twins waited impatiently with their breath held as the ink started appearing on the surface. Fred quickly unfolded it and they both searched the map and the many dots covering the surface. It wasn't after curfew, but it was after dinner, so most people were either in the library, detention, or their common rooms.

"There." George suddenly pointed. In a little secret alcove down one of the corridors, Annabelle's name sat next to a little dot.

Fred cursed. "We were literally standing right in front of that tapestry."

"Come on, before she decides to move hiding places." George suggested. Fred nodded, and muttered a quick, "Mischief Managed." before folding the map up and tucking it into his robes as he followed his twin.

They once again took off down the corridor at a full sprint until they neared the same tapestry they'd stood in front of not ten minutes ago.

George glanced back at Fred before slowly pulling the tapestry to the side. The sight before them made a sharp pain in their chests.

Annabelle was curled up under a blanket, her head on a pillow in the tiny space, and tears were dried on her cheeks. She appeared asleep.

Fred and George exchanged a worried look before ducking into the small space, letting the tapestry swing shut behind them. George lit the tip of his wand, offering some light as his twin knelt down next to the girl.

"Anna." Fred whispered, resting his hand on her shoulder and gently shaking it. She scrunched her face up and groaned. "Anna, wake up. Please."

It took a few moments, but Anna eventually managed to force her eyes open. She blinked before looking between Fred and George. Then, everything came rushing back to her and she buried her face in the pillow.

"Go away, please." she pleaded, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Never." Fred answered bluntly, turning to sit back against the wall with his hand resting on the dip in her side. He winced when he felt her ribs under her loose school robes.

"You're not getting rid of us that easily." George added, turning to sit opposite his twin. He still held his lit wand in one hand, his other hand resting gently on the back of Anna's head.

She didn't move for a moment before she hesitantly turned her head and peaked up at them. They met her eyes unwaveringly and she soon felt tears welling in her eyes again.

"I don't deserve you guys." she whispered, almost to herself rather than them, but they still heard her.

"What do you mean?" Fred asked in concern.

Anna sniffed, reaching up and rubbing her nose with the back of her wrist. "Because you guys haven't given up on me no matter how many times I've blown you off or told you nothing was wrong. I don't want to tell you, but…I just don't want to hurt you guys."

"As cheesy as it sounds," George told her gently, "it's hurting us more not knowing, because we know something's hurt you and we don't know what to do to help."

Anna chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Honestly, I don't think there _is_ anything you can do to help. I just have to learn to get over it and move on with my life."

"Well, let us be the judges of that." Fred suggested.

Anna turned her eyes back down to the floor as she considered her options. The twins looked on hopefully, their eyes not leaving her face. Finally, she sighed in defeat and moved to sit up.

"Okay."

She sat up and leaned back against the wall, keeping her eyes straight ahead. She took a deep breath before she forced herself to speak.

"I took the crate back to the shed and put it away. I heard the shed door slam shut behind me and turned around…Flint and two other Slytherins were standing there." She closed her eyes and swallowed the bile in her throat before continuing, "Flint disarmed me of my wand. Then, they locked the door and put a Silencing Charm around the shed. Then they all backed me into the back wall, and Flint ordered the other two to hold me down. I-" Anna could feel her breathing becoming ragged, "I tried fighting back. I kicked and screamed. They s-slammed me down on the ground, and it got h-hard to breathe for a bit." Just like her words, she was finding it hard to breathe in that moment, as well. Fred, worried she might pass out, scooted closer and soothingly rubbed circles on her back.

"Take your time, Anna. Take a breath." George suggested, having the same thoughts as his twin. Anna nodded and paused to take a deep breath.

"They…taunted me. Reminded me no one could hear me because of the Silencing Charm. Then,…Flint told them to…'hold me still'. They pinned me down and…" she clenched her eyes shut tight, trying to stop the images from flashing in her mind, but it was useless.

Now more worried than before, the twins both scooted closer until they had her comfortably sandwiched between them. A sob jerked Anna's chest and she turned and briefly buried her face in Fred's shoulder. Fred wrapped his arm around her, holding her close while George held her hand tightly.

Anna forced herself to swallow back her sobs so she could continue, leaning her temple on Fred's shoulder so she could speak clearly.

"Flint…he started pulling his pants down." she whispered, barely louder than a breath. Fred stiffened and George's hand accidentally tightened around hers. "I felt sick. I asked him what he was doing, but I think I already had an idea. Then, he…pulled my pants down."

Fred was grinding his teeth together, trying to keep his touch gentle as he ran his hand over Anna's hair. George wasn't faring much better. He was pale and felt sick to his stomach.

"I started fighting back more, kicking and screaming. I managed to kick Flint in the gut." she told them, trying to sound more positive as she glanced between them. George gave a weak smile while Fred chuckled quietly, little more than breathing as he squeezed her gently.

"He got mad and punched me for it, though." she admitted a moment later, making their smiles drop again. "That's why I had a bruise on my face. Then,…" Once again, her throat closed around her words. She could feel a shadow of the pain slice through her, making her shift in her seat.

Fred tilted his head to look down at her, studying her face carefully. He could easily read the pain and fear in her expression as she relived the pain Flint caused her. Fred and George both had an idea what Flint did to her, but they needed her to tell them. Maybe the gory details weren't helping them, but telling them what happened could help her in the long run. She needed to talk it out with someone.

"You can do it, Anna. Just take your time." George whispered to her, leaning over and kissing the side of her head. Anna smiled shakily up at him.

"He…he, well, I don't know if it technically counted, but…he…" Anna's bottom lip trembled. She was scared to say it. Sure, she'd thought it, but saying it out loud, especially to her two best friends, would make it seem so real. Up until now she could just go through her days pretending it was all some horrible nightmare, but she couldn't do that anymore. So, gathering every ounce of Gryffindor courage she possessed, Anna forced herself to say it. "I think he… _raped_ me." she whispered the last two words, closing her eyes in shame.

Fred turned and crushed Anna to his chest, letting her bury her face in his school robes. George still kept a comfortingly tight grip on Anna's hand, but in his other hand, his wand was emitting red sparks from his anger. With Anna's eyes hidden in Fred's chest, Fred looked over her head and met George's eyes, which mirrored the anger, pain, and desire for vengeance Fred was sure were in his.

Finally, George took a deep breath and tried to think past the haze of anger and pain. Clearing his throat, he squeezed Anna's hand. "Anna, what do you mean you _think_ he…raped you?" he asked gently, "I mean, he either did or didn't, right?"

Anna swallowed once again, turning to rest the side of her head on Fred's chest so she could see George. "Um,…well, I…" she grimaced, not wanting to get into details, but she didn't know how to describe it without details, "He only…went _in_ …" the twins flinched, "once."

Fred swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat.

"I mean, I don't even know if that counts, but…" Anna's breath hitched, "it just…it _hurt_." she whimpered, hating how weak she sounded. The twins tensed again. "It felt like I was being ripped from the inside out." she explained, tears streaming down her cheeks again, "And-and there was blood. And when we left later, it hurt to walk. It was painful for a few days after."

George blinked rapidly, his eyes stinging as he listened to the pain in her voice. "I'm sorry." he whispered before she could continue.

Anna sniffed, turning more to look at him in confusion, while Fred gave his twin a look of understanding. They were both feeling guilt, but George's was worse. "What?" Anna asked.

"I'm sorry." George repeated miserably, "I should've gotten there sooner. Hell, we shouldn't have left you to take the crate alone. I'm so sorry, Anna."

But Anna was already shaking her head before he finished speaking. "George, no. No, this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you guys-well, part of it. I knew you'd blame yourselves, and it just isn't your fault."

"If one of us had been there-"

"You got there in time to keep Flint from continuing." Anna cut him off, leaning away from Fred now. "He would've just kept going if you hadn't arrived. But when…when he was…We heard a boom sound. Him and the other Slytherins were hurrying to get away from me just as you blasted the door open. You got there in time to save me, George."

"But if I'd been there all along, you wouldn't have been hurt to begin with." George argued.

"At least you went back for her." Fred pointed out, "I didn't even do that much."

"Oh, you two need to stop. This is why I didn't tell you. I knew you'd freak out, get all overprotective, and blame yourselves." Anna ranted.

"What would you rather us do, then?" Fred asked dryly.

Anna rolled her eyes, slouching back against the brick wall behind her. Seeing that they wouldn't get an answer out of her, George changed the subject.

"Anna, you know you need to tell someone. McGonagall or-"

"Absolutely not." Anna snapped, glaring at the back of the tapestry that hid their hideout.

"Anna," Fred tried to reason with her.

"No. I'm not telling anyone. This is yet another reason I didn't want you two to know. The teachers have enough to worry about with the whole Chamber of Secrets thing."

"So, what you're just going to let Flint get away with this?" Fred asked angrily.

"Anna, this isn't just some prank or Slytherin bullying. He _raped_ you." George pointed out as gently as he could while still getting the point across. Anna still flinched. "There's no 'maybe' or 'I think' about it. He raped you. That's a crime, Anna. You can't just let him get away with that. What if he decided to do it to someone else?"

Anna winced again. "He only did it as payback for me hexing him…"

"So, what, you think you two are even now?" Fred asked incredulously.

"No! I just,…no, that's not what I meant." she argued weakly, unsure where she was going with that earlier statement.

"Anna, I know you're scared." George reasoned gently, "And that's understandable. But you can't let him get away with it. Then he wins."

"This isn't about winning and losing, George." Anna said sadly, "Besides, even if I wanted to tell someone, there's no evidence. This happened over a month ago, there's nothing to prove I'm telling the truth. I'd just go up to McGonagall, make a fool of myself and tell her what happened, and she'd just say, 'Well, that's sad, but we can't do anything about it. You'll just have to deal with it.'"

Fred snorted, giving her a very small smile. "I don't think McGonagall would appreciate that impression of her."

Anna gave a small smile in return before continuing, "Besides, all the teachers have more important things to worry about, with the threat of students being Petrified. My problems are nothing compared to that."

"Your problems aren't 'nothing', Anna." George argued. "That git needs to pay for this."

"Sure, of course he needs to pay. I'm not disputing that." Anna agreed slowly. "But you're not going to tell anyone about it." When the twins gave her a look, she rushed on, "Come on! You two have gotten revenge on people hundreds of times without telling McGonagall."

Fred and George exchanged a look, sharing a silent twin conversation before looking back at her.

"Alright, how about this?" George started.

"For now, we can take our revenge on Flint as ruthlessly and as often as we see fit. If you don't like some of the things we do to the bastard, you have no say in the matter." Fred states firmly.

Anna opened her mouth to comment, but George swept on.

"Next, we won't tell anyone, on a few conditions. One, if Flint says anything to you or about you, or taunts you, or brings this whole thing up to torture you,-"

"-or if he even looks at you funny,-" Fred inserted.

"-the deal's off."

"Two, if McGonagall, or any Professor for that matter, notices something's wrong with you and asks about it, you will answer honestly and tell them what happened."

"Three, you will at least _try_ to get better, both mentally and physically. We understand you're hurt, but not eating and sitting alone and being depressed isn't going to help you." George added gently.

"I can feel your ribs, Anna." Fred whispered, making Anna look down in embarrassment for a moment. "Just talk to us if you start to feel depressed. We want to help you, Anna."

Anna nodded, blinking a few times to clear the tears away before she lifted her head.

"Okay, um,…" she paused and thought back on everything they said so she could address everything. "First of all, by all means, do whatever you want to Flint. Just don't do something illegal and end up in Azkaban, 'cause you can't help me through this from behind bars." she smiled softly, earning quiet chuckles from the twins.

"Second, Flint's been looking at me funny for as long as I can remember the guy. And third,…I promise I'll try and get better." she whispered the last sentence, her gray eyes glistening again, "I wasn't trying to starve or anything, I just…I didn't have an appetite. Like, the thought of eating made me sick to my stomach."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before deciding there wasn't much else they wanted to talk about in that moment. They were all pretty worn out from the emotional overload. So, they walked back to the common room in companionable silence. Since many people had gone up to their dormitories, the three went up their separate staircases to get read for bed. However, after changing into her pajamas, Anna soon found herself cold and scared to sleep. After spilling her guts to the twins, and pretty much reliving that horrible afternoon, Anna was terrified she'd have a nightmare. And the girls wouldn't understand if there was a chance she woke up screaming in pain.

So, without making up an excuse to the girls, she tiptoed down the stairs and hurried stealthily across the common room before creeping up the stairs to the boys' dormitory. When she found the door to the fourth year boys' room, she hesitantly knocked. The talking and laughter dimmed a bit and a second later the door opened to reveal Fred. He smiled, not mentioning that he noticed she crossed her arms over her stomach, as if shielding herself.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked gently.

Anna smiled shakily at him. "Well, it's just that…could I…" Finally, she took a deep breath and whispered, "I'm scared. Of having a nightmare, now that I had to go over everything with you and George."

Fred's brow furrowed worriedly. "Anna,-"

"No, I needed it. It helped, I think. I just…with it all in the forefront of my mind, I'm afraid I'll have nightmares that I can't explain to my roommates. So, could I…?"

Fred smiled gently. "Of course. And anyone who has a problem with it can sleep in the common room."

Anna laughed as he stepped back and waved her in. The other boys smiled at her, the only boy in their year who wasn't close to them, Kenneth, looked confused.

Fred didn't bother explaining to any of them. He rested his hand on Anna's back and whispered near her ear, "You wanna take my bed? I can bunk with George, if you want?"

Anna chewed her lip. "Actually,…unless it makes you uncomfortable, you could…"

Fred understood and grinned reassuringly. "Of course it's fine, Anna. You can go get in my bed, I'll get in after I've brushed my teeth."

Anna smiled gratefully at him and did as he told her, climbing under the blanket and pulling it up over her lap. George pulled the curtains so that his curtain hid his bed except the side that faced Fred's bed, and did the same with Fred's curtain. Then he placed a Silencing Charm on their little area.

Fred soon joined her and laid down on his side so they were facing each other, with several inches between them.

"Thank you for this, Fred. I'm sorry if I end up, you know, screaming bloody murder or something later tonight." Anna whispered as the other boys turned off the lights on got in their own beds.

"Don't mention it. And don't worry. If you do end up screaming in your sleep…I'll just muffle the noise with my pillow." Fred smirked.

Anna gaped mockingly at him, smacking his chest and making him laugh quietly. After they settled down and started dozing off, Anna whispered one more thing before going to bed.

"Goodnight, Fred."

"Goodnight, Anna."

 **XXX**

 **For those of you who don't like the whole rape part of the story, here's a basic rundown, with small SPOILERS, of what's coming in the rest of the story:**

 **Ch 25: Christmas at Hogwarts**

 **Ch 26: A few adults find out the truth**

 **Ch 27:** _ **Lots**_ **of people find out the truth. More students are Petrified.**

 **Ch 28: Anna gets a notice about her trial date.**

 **28 is the last chapter of this story, and I'll probably post the 1** **st** **chapter of the sequel,** _ **Family of Courage**_ **, on the same day or sometime soon after. The first couple chapters of that story will center around the rape/trial, but after that she'll try and move on, as well as have other problems that pop up, so it won't be the center of the story.**


	26. Christmas at Hogwarts

Anna woke the next morning to something tickling her hairline. Blinking her sleepy eyes open, her blurry vision cleared to reveal a freckled nose a few inches from her face. Peaking her eyes up, she saw Fred's sleeping face right in front of hers. His steady breathing was what was stirring her hair every time he exhaled.

Anna smiled, grateful that she had such great friends. She peaked over her shoulder to see George sleeping in his bed, his mouth hanging open and a bit of drool peaking from the corner of his mouth. She had to bite her lips together to keep from giggling at him.

The bed shifted and Anna turned back forward to see Fred blink his eyes open. He smiled when he saw her.

"Hey. Did you sleep okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, I think I did…I didn't scream, did I?"

"Not that I heard." Fred shook his head.

"What time is it?"

Fred turned over and moved the curtain to the side. "7:46. You wanna head to breakfast soon? If we get an early start we can spend the whole day in Hogsmeade."

"That's right. I forgot this was a Hogsmeade weekend." Anna murmured, her eyes wide. With it being the last Hogsmeade trip before Christmas, she'd need to go shopping for presents, since she wouldn't be able to go with her mum to Diagon Alley.

She quietly slipped from the boys' room and tiptoed her way down the stairs, across the common room, and up the girls' stairs until she opened her door. The other fourth year girls were still in their beds so she tried to be quiet as she changed.

"Where were you last night?" Anna paused, her jumper pulled over her head and covering her face. She gave it one more tug so her head could pop free and turned to see Angelina sitting up on one elbow, giving her an expectant look.

"Um,…I fell asleep in the common room." she answered quietly.

"Sure you did." Ang raised both eyebrows before giving her a small smile and climbing out of bed to get dressed. She didn't push for anymore, which Anna was thankful for.

When she was dressed, Anna realized she should probably write Charlie back to let him know she was okay. She decided she'd write it after she got back from Hogsmeade, and she could send it with his Christmas present. She hurried down the stairs into the common room and waited patiently for the twins to arrive. A few minutes later, they came down dressed, half asleep, and with Lee on their heels.

"Sleep well?" George asked lightly, tossing his arm over Anna's shoulders.

Anna gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I did. Thanks."

They were among the first dozen or so students in the Great Hall eating breakfast. Anna originally grabbed only a piece of toast, but Fred, who was sitting next to her, gave her a stern look. It reminded her of Molly, but she knew what it meant. So she picked a few scoops of scrambled eggs to add to her plate, as well as a few pieces of bacon.

'Happy?' she mouthed silently to him, which he answered with a nod and a smile. When she glanced up, George was smiling in amusement at them, trying to hide it by eating.

They finished quickly and were among the first students to get out of the castle and on the path to Hogsmeade. It made the wizarding village seem much more peaceful without all the other students already there.

"So, where to first?" Anna asked as she walked in the middle of the boys.

"Zonko's!" the twins and Lee shouted as if it were obvious. So, they made their routine stop in Zonko's Joke Shop and bought Dungbombs, Stink Pellets, a Nose-Biting Teacup, and Anna decided to buy a few Hiccough Sweets on a whim. While in there, Anna considered buying a few things for the twins for Christmas, but she figured that was unoriginal. But it did give her other ideas for later.

Their next stop was Honeydukes, where they grabbed as many of their favorite sweets as they could. Anna also grabbed an assortment of sweets she knew Charlie liked to send him for his Christmas present. It wasn't much, and it wasn't unique, but she suspected he missed Honeydukes sweets nearly as much as his mother's cooking.

After that they decided to split up to do Christmas shopping and planned to meet at The Three Broomsticks in an hour. So, Anna made a very, _very_ quick stop in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop to buy an assortment of her mum's favorite tea bags to send home for Christmas. Hurrying out of the sickeningly pink tea shop, Anna then moved along the village until she found Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. Figuring she may find something for Fred and George in there to go along with her other idea, she hurried inside and browsed. After a few moments she found an invisible writing kit, complete with special quills, ink, and parchment so that only specific people could read what's written. That would certainly come in handy when the twins went home and wanted to keep their plans secret from their mum.

She bought the kit and stuffed it into her bag under everything else so the twins wouldn't see it before making her way toward The Three Broomsticks. She was about half an hour early, so she found a booth near the door and ordered a foaming mug of hot Butterbeer. Deciding she may as well do something so she wasn't just sitting until the guys showed up, she got out a spare bit of parchment and a quill and inkwell. After thinking of what to say, she started writing a letter to Charlie.

 _Charlie,_

 _Thanks for writing, I really appreciated it, though I'll admit I got angry at the twins when I found out they told you. But yeah, I was having a rough time, I was distant and depressed. I still am, honestly, but I'm trying to get better. I talked about what happened to the twins, and they're helping a lot. I really wish I could tell you what happened, too, but I would really prefer to tell you in person. It's one of those things that really shouldn't be told over a letter. But I'm fine, that's all that matters._

 _I'm sending this letter along with your Christmas present, which I hope you enjoy. It's not much, but it's something. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll write to you soon and let you know how our next match goes._

 _Love,_

 _Anna_

By the time she was finished writing, Anna had drank about a third of her Butterbeer, leaving her insides all warm and cozy. She put her quill and inkwell into her shoulder bag and waved her parchment around a bit to dry it.

"What are you up to?" a familiar voice asked as the twins and Lee rounded the booth. George nudged her over and sat in the booth next to her while Fred and Lee scooted into the booth across from them.

"I wrote a letter to Charlie." Anna answered quietly, folding the parchment up and carefully sliding it into her bag. "I'll owl it to him with the present I got him either later today or tomorrow."

The twins smiled in understanding as the three boys ordered warm butterbeers. They relaxed in the warmth for a few hours before making their way back up to the castle, getting into a brief snowball fight on the way. They headed toward the common room to drop their things off before heading to the Great Hall for dinner. As they walked, they passed Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Hey, Harry!" George called.

"Who do you think you're going to attack next?" Fred added. Harry blushed and looked at the ground as the twins laughed. Anna gaped at them before backhanding them both in the arm.

"Did you seriously just ask him that? That's horrible!" she scolded.

"Oh, come on, we're joking." Fred assured her.

"Yeah, I mean, the idea that _Harry Potter_ is the Heir of Slytherin is just ridiculous! His best friends are a Muggleborn and a bloodtraitor. The Heir of Slytherin would despise the very idea of spending time with the likes of them." George added.

Anna had to admit they had a point, but she didn't want to make Harry feel any worse than he already did.

XXX

The twins continued to make jokes about the Heir of Slytherin. A couple days later they were walking to class when they saw Harry going to class, as well. People were giving him a wide birth and whispering behind their hands. Fred and George exchanged a look before hurrying forward to head Harry off. Anna hurried after them, hoping against hope she could keep them in line.

The twins marched in front of Harry, their chests puffed out as they shouted in perfect unison, "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through!"

Anna muffled her laugh as she exchanged a glance with Harry, not wanting to make him feel bad. But he looked completely amused, probably appreciating the fact that the twins didn't seem to believe the rumors.

Their fun was halted when they found Percy standing in the middle of the corridor, his hands on his hips as if he were trying to look like Molly.

"That is _not_ a laughing matter-"

"Oh, get out of the way, Percy. Harry's in a hurry." Fred interrupted Percy with a wave of his hand.

"Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant." George added, his voice completely serious. Anna and Harry both snorted, trying not to laugh as Percy's face went purple.

XXX

 _Finally,_ the day came for the Hogwarts Express to take everyone home for the holidays, leaving the castle nearly empty. Anna was relieved because Flint went home, which meant the twins could relax. Not that they weren't relaxed, but every time they saw Flint either in the corridors or at meals, they appeared to try and kill him with their eyes, and they tended to scoot closer to Anna as if reassuring her and themselves that Flint couldn't hurt her. On the one hand, she greatly appreciated it because the thought of being alone with Flint made her shake with fear, but on the other hand she just wanted them to relax.

Their first morning of freedom, most of the remaining Gryffindors, which mainly consisted of the Weasley children, Harry, Hermione, and Annabelle; decided to spend the day hanging out in the common room.

Anna came downstairs after having a lie-in to find the twins, Harry, and Ron setting up a game of Exploding Snap. Hermione was curled up in a big, comfy armchair reading a book that probably weighed more than a brick. Ginny was sitting in the corner of a couch, watching the boys with a blank stare. The younger Weasley looked very pale with bags under her eyes. Anna chewed her lip, trying to think of something to help the young girl. She glanced down and her eyes caught the ponytail on her wrist.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she headed toward the couch and sat down next to Ginny, ruffling Fred's hair as she went. She answered the chorus of, "Morning"s with one of her own as she curled her feet up under her.

"Morning, Ginny. Sleep well?" Anna smiled gently. Ginny blinked and looked up as if just realizing she was no longer sitting alone.

"Um,…Yeah, alright." she finally answered with a small nod.

"So, why didn't you want to go home for Christmas?" Anna asked quietly, "I would've thought you'd jump at the chance to see Bill and your parents again." Anna knew the twins had decided to stay partially to keep her company, and Ron probably stayed for Harry. Percy was probably just staying to help with prefect stuff, but Anna would've thought the youngest Weasley would want to go home. Maybe she was homesick and that was why she was acting this way.

"I just…I didn't really want to." Ginny answered quietly with a small shrug.

Anna nodded silently, trying desperately to think of something to say that sounded casual. She gathered her hair over one shoulder and ran her fingers through it, trying to get the tangles out as she examined the still-blue-gray hair.

"Hey, do you know how to braid?" Anna asked her curiously.

Ginny blinked a few times and nodded slowly.

"Do you think…would you like to braid my hair for me? I just kinda want it out of my face. I can put it in a ponytail if you'd rather not." she added, not wanting to force her.

Ginny stared at her for a moment before nodding. "Okay. Sure, I can do that."

Anna smiled and handed her the hair tie from her wrist before turning so her back was to her. Ginny combed her fingers through her hair, pulling it back and dividing it into three sections before she started braiding it.

After a few moments, Ginny's quiet voice reached Anna's ear. "Why is your hair blue?"

Anna was silent for a moment, contemplating how to answer. She could tell by staring at the back of Fred's head, and the way George's eyes shifted as they played, that they were half-listening to them.

"I'm a Metamorphmagus." she answered quietly, "I can change my appearance at will."

"So,…what made you want to have blue hair?" Ginny asked quietly.

Anna swallowed, a small lump forming in her throat. "Well,…sometimes things like that are…a sort of reflection of my mood. Like, when I got really mad during an argument with the Slytherin Quidditch team at the beginning of the year, my hair turned red for a bit."

"How long's a bit? I never saw you with red hair." Ginny asked, sounding a bit perplexed as she tied Anna's hair off at the end.

"It only lasted for a minute at most."

"But your hair's been blue for…over a month now." Ginny pointed out worriedly as Anna slowly shifted to turn herself around. "What does that mean?"

Anna chewed her lip, her eyes glancing around the room. Hermione was engrossed in her book, and Harry and Ron were trying not to lose too horribly against the twins in their game, but the twins were still half-listening as they played.

"Well,…I guess blue can mean something like…sadness, or something like that." Anna shrugged as if it were nothing.

"So,…you've been sad for that long? Why?" Ginny asked worriedly.

Anna gave her a forced smile. "It's really not that bad, Ginny. I promise. I'm just…going through some stuff. I'm fine, honestly." Even as she said that she could feel the blue in her hair darkening just a bit. Not enough to be noticed, but enough that she could feel it.

After several games of Exploding Snap, the twins suggested they all practice dueling.

"But I didn't go to the dueling club. I don't have any practice." Anna argued as Fred grabbed her hand and dragged her up from the couch.

"Which is precisely why you should practice." Fred countered, dragging her to an empty space. Harry and Ron paired off and Hermione waited to switch off with them, George paired with Ginny, and Fred with Annabelle.

Anna bowed hesitantly to Fred, who did the same, before raising her wand, trying to remember as many spells as she could.

" _Calvario!_ " Fred shouted.

" _Protego_!" Anna threw her wand up, and barely stopped the curse. " _Rictusempra_!"

Fred defended himself easily and shot, " _Flipendo_!" at her. Anna didn't defend herself in time and was pushed back until she hit the wall.

" _Aquamenti_!" A jet of water shot from Anna's wand, but Fred ducked it.

" _Locomotor Wibbly_!" Anna barely blocked his spell and responded with, " _Stupefy_!" Fred blocked it yet again.

Anna was quickly getting frustrated that he'd already got her once and she had yet to get him. So after blocking his next spell, she quickly shot out a couple, " _Locomotor Mortis_! _Stupefy_! _Expelliarmus_!"

Fred managed to dodge the first two, but at the third spell, his wand flew from his hand and into Anna's.

"Ha!" Anna laughed, giving a little hop with her fists in the air, a wand in each hand.

Fred shook his head, a beaming smile on her face. "Yeah, yeah, you finally got me. Now, can I have my wand back so we can continue?" he asked playfully, holding a hand out expectantly.

"I suppose." Anna tossed his wand back to him, and they both bowed before resuming, throwing spells and jinxes back and forth.

" _Furnunculous_!"

Anna easily blocked Fred's next spell and shot, " _Tarantallegra_!"

"What is going on down here?" Percy demanded as he came down the boys' staircase. Fred had ducked Anna's spell and, unfortunately, it hit Percy square in the chest.

Anna's hands flew to her mouth as Percy's legs began dancing uncontrollably. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch, and the boys instantly laughed.

"What the-don't just stand there! Make it stop!" Percy demanded, his face turning red as he tried to grab the wall and stop himself.

"Sorry!" Anna shouted, raising her wand and performing the counter-curse. Percy's legs stopped dancing and the twins instantly, "Aw!"ed in disappointment.

"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy shouted, straightening his robes and glasses. "Honestly, how immature are you?"

"We were just…practicing dueling. It's an important skill." Hermione pointed out quietly.

Percy, probably unable to find an argument, merely huffed and marched back up the stairs to his dormitory.

The twins exchanged a look from across the common room, Fred throwing his arm over Anna's shoulders as they said in unison, "Oh, this is going to be a fun Christmas."

XXX

Annabelle was woken up on Christmas morning to something repeatedly thumping against her bedroom door. Crawling out of bed, she cracked the door open and peaked out. There was no one there.

"Hello?" she called.

"Are you up yet?" the twins shouted up the stairs.

Anna rolled her eyes. "No, I'm sleep-talking." she called sarcastically.

"We're waiting for you to get down here so we can open presents!" Fred called.

"So hurry up!" George added.

"Alright, alright, give me a minute!" she called back before going back into her room. She found a small pile of presents at the foot of her bed, so she carefully piled them into her arms and carried them downstairs. The twins were both sitting on the common room couch in their pajamas with a pile of presents at their feet, their knees bouncing impatiently.

"Took you long enough!" they chorused as she approached and sat in the armchair next to them.

"Oh, shush." she waved them off as she grabbed a present to open while the twins started ripping into theirs. Soon, all three were wearing their new Weasley jumpers from Molly.

"Ooh, wonder what's in here?" Fred grinned as he lifted a large box wrapped into red wrapping paper. "It has both our names on it, Georgie. 'To: Fred and George' 'From: Anna'."

Anna rolled her eyes as Fred shook the box near his ear to guess what it was.

Finally, they both started tearing the wrapping paper off to reveal the invisible writing kit.

"Oooh!" they both beamed at the kit, instantly leaning over it and looking at everything inside.

"Brilliant." Fred beamed.

"Thanks, Anna!" George glanced at Anna before sifting through the contents of the box.

"Yeah, thanks." Fred added.

"I got you guys, well, I also…put together another present for you guys." Anna admitted, looking at the present she was half-way through opening on her lap.

"Which one is it?" Fred asked, looking down at the presents on the floor they had yet to open.

"It's, um,…that envelope in George's pile." she explained, pointing. George plucked the envelope off the ground and opened it. He pulled out a piece of parchment and began to read out loud:

" _Bruise Remover - maybe use Arnica root gel, combine with Episky?_

 _"Nosebleed sweet - maybe use Turnip Wine, created during Middle Ages, known to make nose bleed._

 _"Fever sweet_...wait, what is this?" George finally stopped reading out loud to look at Anna.

She picked at her fingernails before answering, "Well,…you remember all those ideas we thought up for joke products? I was just trying to come up with possible ways to make them. I'm not sure if those would work, they're just simple ideas that I happened upon in books or something-"

She was cut off by the twins catapulting themselves over their presents to tackle her into the armchair, giving her a tight group hug and making her laugh.

XXX

Later in the day, Anna was sitting between the twins in the Great Hall for Christmas dinner. There were at least a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees, thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossed over the ceiling, and enchanted snow falling from the ceiling and disappearing before it reached the tables. They sang several Christmas songs, lead by Dumbledore.

Anna pulled a cracker with George with a loud _bang_. When the blue smoke from it cleared, it revealed George wearing a top hat and Anna holding a pair of fuzzy purple socks. They both burst into laughter until Fred nudged Anna with his elbow. She turned to look at him and George leaned forward to see around her.

Fred slyly flicked his wand at Percy, who was sitting across from him and talking with another prefect who'd stayed behind. Instantly, the word 'Prefect' on Percy's Prefect Badge changed to read 'Pinhead'.

Anna instantly muffled her laughter behind her hand, as did George. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked over to see what they were laughing at, they snorted into their dessert.

"What are you all sniggering at?" Percy demanded after finally noticing their horrible attempt at hiding their laughter.

By the time dinner was over and everyone made their way back to their common rooms, Anna, along with several others, was full and warm from the amount of eggnog she consumed.

"So, was this Christmas as good as the ones spent with your family?" Fred asked curiously, slinging an arm over Anna's shoulder.

"Yeah, it was pretty good." Anna smiled, stretching her own arm up over his shoulders and her other arm over George's.


	27. What is Bravery?

"She had to have been Petrified, what else could it be?" Lee whispered, turned around in his seat to talk to Fred, who was sitting next to Anna.

"No way. Harry and Ron would be in way worse shape. They're hardly worried at all." Fred countered.

"But what else could it be?" Lee repeated.

"Jordan, Weasley. If I have to tell you to pay attention one more time, I'll be taking points away." McGonagall announced sternly. Lee instantly turned back around and Fred went back to taking notes. Anna rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she continued her own notes.

The whole school had been buzzing since everyone got back from Christmas holidays a couple weeks prior to find out Hermione Granger was in the hospital wing. The fact that Madame Pomfrey refused to let anyone see her simply added to the gossip. No one had any idea what happened, and Harry and Ron wouldn't tell anyone. Anna was positive if the second year had been Petrified the two boys would be in worse shape than they were. It had to be something else.

The bell rang, dismissing the class, until McGonagall called over the bustle of students packing up.

"I want to remind you that your essay is due next time. Ms. Black," Anna looked up hearing her name, "stay behind, please."

Anna swallowed, looking worriedly at the twins.

"I'm sure it's nothing serious." George assured her as he held his books under one arm.

"Whatever it is, she has no proof we did it." Fred smirked, nudging her with his elbow. Anna gave a shaky smile in return, forcing herself to calm down.

"We'll wait in the corridor if you want." George suggested. Anna nodded with a bigger smile.

"Thanks."

They nodded and left the room, closing the door behind them. Anna left her things on her desk before approaching the front desk, where McGonagall was writing something.

"Have a seat, Ms. Black." McGonagall suggested without looking up. She waved her wand and a chair moved to the empty space in front of the desk. Hesitantly, Anna lowered herself into the chair, smoothing her robes down self-consciously.

"Now," McGonagall pushed her things away, folding her hands on the desk in front of her. "would you like a cup of tea? Biscuits?"

"Um, no thank you." Anna answered slowly.

"Very well." McGonagall looked Anna over with a critical eye over her spectacles. "How have your metamorphic abilities been developing?"

"Uh…very well, I think….Why?"

"Well, Metamorphmagi are rather rare. I was amazed myself that we had two going here in one generation." McGonagall admitted, referring to Anna's cousin, Tonks. "Not much is known about them,…however I do know a few things. Like how certain…aspects of one's appearance are often a reflection of ones emotions."

Anna swallowed at the knowing look in her Professor's eyes. "Oh?"

"Several Professors have noticed certain…obvious changes in your physical appearance." McGonagall explained with a pointed look at Anna's hair.

"I-I just wanted a change." Anna answered quietly.

"I somehow doubt that."

"Tonks always had pink or purple or blue hair. Why can't I change it up?" Anna asked, sounding a little offended.

"You can, however that's not everything. Several of us have noticed you being spaced out during classes, or hardly eating during meals."

Anna looked down at her lap. "I've been better lately, though. So is there really a point to this conversation?"

"Yes, I'll admit someone should have approached you about this long ago. But several things came up, as you know. I've had many things to worry about."

"So, you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine, Professor." Anna insisted quietly, still keeping her eyes on her lap.

"Ms. Black, something is wrong. I'd like for you to tell me what's going on." Anna thought for a moment, but McGonagall swept on, "I've also noticed that the Weasley twins have been acting more like your personal body guards than your friends. And several Slytherin students have been subjected to rather severe pranks…of course I have no proof as to who was responsible, though I have an idea."

Anna's lips twitched. The twins had indeed been pranking Flint rather viciously. Inflating his head, hanging him upside down in the corridors with a wave of their wands, or making hot food explode all over him, and burning him in the process, were just a few that they'd done in the past month.

Anna glanced at McGonagall, who was waiting patiently for some answers. She was very tempted to say there was nothing wrong and get out of there as fast as possible, but then she remembered the deal she made with the twins.

Taking in a deep breath, Anna looked up and met the teacher's eyes. "I'll tell you,…but I'd like to have Fred and George in here with me. Please."

McGonagall searched her eyes for a few moments before nodding. "Very well. If I'm correct, you don't have another class until later this afternoon. So, you can bring them in here and we can talk about it now if you'd like. Would that work?"

Anna nodded slowly, swallowing as she stood up and approached the door to the Transfiguration classroom. She opened it, only for the twins to stumble and fall inside, having been leaning against the door to listen.

"Um, hi." George smiled from where Fred had landed on top of him on the floor. Anna couldn't help a small smile as she shook her head at them.

"Hi. Um,…you remember that deal we made last month?" she asked quietly, offering a hand to help them up. Fred took it and climbed to his feet.

"Yes." he answered slowly as he pulled George up after him.

Anna merely nodded her head toward McGonagall, who was watching the exchange expectantly. The twins' expression changed, looking concerned.

"She asked." George said. It wasn't a question.

Anna nodded. "I…I don't want to talk about it alone." she admitted quietly.

The twins understood, and George took her hand in his. With a twin on each side of her, Anna returned to McGonagall's desk. The stern Head of Gryffindor House had added two other chairs to the front of her desk for the twins to sit in. Anna sat in the middle one with a twin on either side of her.

"Now, why don't you take your time and start from the beginning." Professor McGonagall suggested gently.

Anna nodded, taking a deep breath. George once again grabbed her hand tightly in his while Fred scooted closer so his arm was pressed to hers. She appreciated it, a silent assurance that they were with her, no matter what.

"Well, um,…I made Flint angry awhile back…I won't get into details, but our two Quidditch teams had a bit of a disagreement and I…kinda embarrassed him in front of everyone. He said it 'wasn't over', but I didn't think much of it. They told Professor Snape and I got detention, so I thought that was the end of it.

"He finally got back at me on the day of our Quidditch match against Slytherin, the one where Harry got hit by the Bludger. Everyone was really worried about him, so I volunteered to take the crate with the Quaffle and Bludgers up to the supply shed myself so everyone could go with Harry to the hospital wing."

Anna paused and swallowed, glancing first at George, and then Fred before she turned to her Professor.

"Do I have to tell the whole story, Professor? Or could I just…?" she trailed off, unsure what to say.

"Why don't you just tell me the basics of what happened, and if I have questions you can decide if you want to answer them." the Professor suggested calmly.

Anna nodded, closing her eyes. "Well, basically…Flint and two other Slytherins cornered me in the shed, disarmed me, locked the door and put up a Silencing Charm, and then…two of them held me down while Flint…" she trailed off, that familiar sick feeling appearing in her stomach. Fred shifted his arm and squeezed her hand.

"You can do it." he whispered.

Anna nodded, taking another deep breath to calm her stomach down. "Flint…kind of…"

"Not kind of." George muttered.

"Raped me." she finally admitted, her voice wavering on the first word. She finally opened her eyes to see that Professor McGonagall's face had gone very pale, her thin lips parted in horror as she stared at Annabelle in shock.

"He…" she cleared her throat and straightened her back, seeming to try and regain her composure. "You're telling me Mr. Flint, with the aid of two other Slytherin students,…raped you."

"Yes." Anna nodded.

"And what did you mean by 'kind of'?" the older woman urged.

"Well, um," Anna's face went red, the blood rushing to her head making her feel a bit dizzy. The thought of talking about this in front of a teacher, as well as her two best friends, made her very uncomfortable. "He, uh, he only…he went in once." she finally whispered, looking down in shame.

"He only penetrated you once, is what you're saying." McGonagall guessed in a business-like tone. Anna nodded quickly. "Well, there's no 'kind of' about that, Ms. Black. He penetrated you, and I'm assuming it wasn't consensual?" Anna nodded in agreement, "Then, by British, and Wizarding, Law, he did indeed rape you."

Anna nodded slowly, swallowing back the bile rising in the back of her throat. For some reason, hearing it be confirmed with such certainty by one of her favorite and most trusted Professors, made the whole thing seem far too real for her comfort. Telling the twins was one thing, but she was certain McGonagall would do more than threaten Flint if she could.

"So, what happens now, then, Professor?" George asked quietly.

Minerva McGonagall was silent for a moment, surveying the students sitting in front of her. She'd never seen the Weasley twins look this serious in the years she'd known them.

"Well,…seeing as this happened about two months ago, I'm assuming there isn't much evidence. You've probably cleaned your clothes multiple times since, correct?" Anna nodded.

"What if…" George paused, licking his lips nervously, "Well, there was blood on the ground from…him raping her…what if we have the blood? Could that be considered some kind of evidence?"

"It certainly wouldn't hurt. But given how long ago that was, it's probably been trampled over so many times it may very well be gone by now. Or at least contaminated to the point it wouldn't be much help." Professor McGonagall admitted.

"Well, Fred and I went down there as soon as we could after Anna told us what happened." George admitted, making Anna look at him in shock.

"We managed to scrape some of the blood off the ground and put it in a vial for safe keeping." Fred added. "It's in my trunk if you want it."

Professor McGonagall nodded, looking mildly impressed. "Yes, I would, Mr. Weasley. Thank you."

"Wait. What…what exactly are you going to do with it?" Anna asked worriedly.

"Well, I think we should go talk to Professor Dumbledore about this, and then decide from there. But I think you should consider testifying. Mr. Flint cannot get away with this, Ms. Black."

"I don't-" Anna was already shaking her head, her breathing becoming erratic at the thought of telling anyone else, much less trying to testify in front of a courtroom full of people. Or worse. Telling her mother. "I can't…I don't want to, Professor. _Please_. I just want to forget all of this happened."

"Unfortunately, Ms. Black, things aren't that easy. The fact is, it _did_ happen. We can't change that. But if Flint gets it in his head that these kinds of things have no consequence, that he can get away with what he did, he may do it again. I don't want to make you feel guilty, but you may be able to stop him from doing this again to someone else."

Anna struggled to swallow, feeling as if she were going to puke.

"Anna, you can do this." George rested a hand on her shoulder and squeezed comfortingly.

"I…I'm not…" Anna shook her head, trying to clear the jumbled thoughts from her head, "I'm not brave enough. I'm not a Gryffindor. I can't do it."

"Says who?" Professor McGonagall asked briskly, leaning forward with her elbows on her desk, her hands once again folded together.

"What?" Anna asked in confusion.

"Who says you're not brave enough?"

Anna shrugged nervously. "I don't know. Everyone. Me. I never understood why I was placed in Gryffindor."

"What do you think 'bravery' is, Ms. Black?" McGonagall asked.

"Um,…not being afraid?" Anna guessed with a shrug.

"No. Bravery…is doing what's right, facing danger, and pain, and hardship… _being scared_ ,…and acting anyway. Bravery isn't a lack of fear, it's facing that fear head-on."

Anna nodded slowly, letting those words soak into her mind.

"I'd have to tell my mum." Anna whispered, to which McGonagall nodded with a gentler expression. "And Dumbledore." Again, McGonagall nodded, "Would he be able to help? To make sure Flint's…found guilty?"

"He'll do his best, as will I." McGonagall assured her.

"And…how do I know Flint won't hurt me if I do this?" she asked nervously.

"We won't let him." Fred announced sternly, his hand tightening around hers.

"As admirable as that sentiment is, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall put in, taking off her spectacles, "your pranks and personal payback against Mr. Flint probably won't help Ms. Black's case. Of course, it is difficult for us Professors to always be around when students cause problems, so if Mr. Flint does try something, such as threatening Ms. Black in the near future, I trust you two will be there to help her?"

"Of course." the twins answered in unison.

"Good. Now, in order for this to happen, we'll need to talk to Dumbledore, and you'll need to tell your mother. Is there a specific order you'd like to do that in?" she asked Anna.

"To be honest, I'm dreading both. I don't really have a preference for which to do first." Anna answered honestly.

"Then, how about this? After dinner tonight, you meet me at the Headmaster's office and we'll discuss things with him. If Ms. Black wishes for you two to join us, I suggest you bring that sample of blood." she added to the twins, who nodded, "And how about…I write to your mother and have her meet with me this Saturday? I'm sure Dumbledore would be willing to allow her access to his Floo network so we can have a meeting for you to tell her. Would that be alright? We can give you as much privacy as you want."

Anna nodded once again, still feeling incredibly nervous about the whole ordeal.

"Good. Now, do you have any questions?"

Anna thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think so. I may later, though."

"Well, if you think of any, you can ask me or Dumbledore at any time. We'll figure this all out." McGonagall assured her. "You three can go now if you'd like. Just remember to go to the Headmaster's office when you've finished your dinner."

XXX

Annabelle and the twins sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall a few hours later for dinner. As she was piling her plate with food, Anna glanced over at the Slytherin table. Flint was stuffing his face, laughing with some older Slytherin students, food all over his mouth and face. Shaking her head, Anna glanced down at her own food before glancing at the High Table, where all the staff sat at the front of the Great Hall.

Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore, who was sitting in a large chair in the middle. As she watched, both adults glanced at her before talking again. Not wanting to think about the fact that they were clearly talking about her, Anna turned back to her plate and began nibbling on her food.

Half an hour later, Fred called her out on the fact that she'd only eaten a few bites of Shepherd's pie. "You need to eat a little more, Anna."

"I feel sick." she muttered, poking at her food with her fork.

"That's just your nerves. It'll be fine." George assured her from her other side.

"What's wrong?" Katie asked worriedly, Angelina and Alicia both looking worried, as well, on either side of her.

"Nothing." Anna shook her head with a small smile. "I just…have to do something after dinner. I'll probably tell you about it eventually." she admitted. She figured if they made her press charges against Flint, he'd obviously find out eventually, and would probably start spreading rumors before too long. She'd prefer her friends find out the truth from her than Flint's version through gossip.

"Alright. If you're sure." Katie told her, still looking at her with her brows furrowed with worry.

"Alright, here." Fred suddenly leaned over the table and did something before putting a plate with a slice of lemon meringue pie in front of her, and George gave her a mug of tea with two scoops of sugar.

"These might settle your stomach." George added with a kind smile. Anna smiled at both of them.

"Thanks." she whispered, pushing her Shepherd's pie away and eating her dessert.

She was finished within fifteen minutes, not eating too fast and risking a stomachache. She was trying not to look up at the High Table every ten seconds, trying to forget what she had to do after dinner. The twins tried to distract her, planning pranks out with her and Lee, or talking about Quidditch practices.

Soon, however, it didn't escape her notice that Dumbledore stood up and left the Great Hall through a back door. And then, McGonagall looked at her and followed.

"Anna." George rested a hand on her shoulder. "You ready to go?"

Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly. "As ready as I'll ever be." she admitted. "Let's go." She stood up, with the twins following.

"Where are you guys going?" Lee asked curiously.

"We've gotta do something real quick. We'll see you guys in the common room later tonight." Fred told them before the three headed out of the Great Hall and up the stairs to the third floor.

Soon, they found Professor McGonagall outside a gargoyle statue.

"I see you found it. Did you bring the sample you mentioned earlier?" she directed the question to the twins. Fred nodded and reached into his robe pocket and pulled a small vial out. Inside were bits of dried blood that they'd clearly scraped off the wood floor of the shed. Fred handed the vial over to Professor McGonagall, who held it tightly in her hand before turning to the statue.

"Sherbet lemon." she stated clearly. In response, the gargoyle statue stepped aside, revealing a circular, moving stone staircase. McGonagall stepped onto the first step, and Anna and the twins followed her. Before long they reached a door, which the Professor knocked on. A quiet 'Come in' answered, so she turned the knob and lead the three students inside.

The room was large and circular, the walls covered with portraits of all the past headmasters and headmistresses. Near the middle of the back of the room was an enormous, claw-footed desk where Professor Dumbledore was sitting, and next to the desk was a stand with a large, beautiful bird with red and gold feathers, a golden beak and talons, and black eyes.

"Ah, Professor McGonagall. I see you've brought them. Please, come in." Dumbledore smiled kindly behind his long, white beard. They all moved closer, McGonagall closing the door behind them. "Have a seat." With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore had three chairs sitting in front of the desk, which Anna and the twins took while their Head of House stood next to the Headmaster. Being in this situation, Anna felt very much like she was in trouble.

"Now, Professor McGonagall has informed me that something…rather horrible has happened to you, Ms. Black. Would you care to explain?" Dumbledore asked gently.

McGonagall cleared her throat before Anna could even think of how to start. "Albus, could I make a suggestion first?"

"Of course, Minerva." Dumbledore answered instantly, turning to look up at her.

"Ms. Black has already had to give more details on this situation than she's surely comfortable with. Is it at all possible for her to give a very brief explanation, and maybe you could extract the memory from her to see for yourself? Perhaps we could also offer the memory as evidence should we decide to pursue a trial?"

"Well, that is certainly a possibility, if Ms. Black is at all comfortable with that?" Dumbledore turned to Anna questioningly.

Anna thought for a moment. "You mean,…you could see the memory yourself?"

"Yes. I have…instruments that make it possible for me to extract a memory and review it as many times as I need to, should I need to see if I've missed something. I'd also have a way of seeing if this memory is the absolute truth or if it's been tampered with, which I doubt yours has. It may not be the most reliable form of evidence, since as I said memories can be altered, but we'll see what we have to work with. Would you feel comfortable with that?"

Anna chewed her lip for a moment. "Well,…I don't know if _comfortable_ is the best word, but…if you viewed the memory yourself…would that mean I wouldn't have to tell anyone else what happened?"

"That depends, I'm afraid. I'd have to know a bit more about the situation before I can make that assumption."

Anna nodded slowly, taking a deep breath that made her shoulders lift. "Okay. Yeah, I'd be okay with that, I guess."

Dumbledore nodded once. "Very well. Now, before I do that, could you give me a very brief idea of what this is about?"

Anna glanced nervously at Professor McGonagall, who was standing next to Dumbledore. The Transfiguration Professor gave her a very rare reassuring smile. So, Anna turned back to Dumbledore and answered him.

"I was raped by Marcus Flint."

Dumbledore's gentle expression fell ever so slightly, his sparkling blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles darkened a shade or two. "I see. Well, I can understand why this situation has my Deputy Headmistress so out of sorts." McGonagall's expression shifted, but for the most part remained emotionless at the comment. "And do you have any kind of evidence at all besides the memory?"

"The Weasley twins gathered this sample of Ms. Black's blood on the floor of the Quidditch shed, where it happened." McGonagall answered briskly, handing Dumbledore the small vial Fred had given her earlier. He held it between his fingers, examining it in the light of the room. "It isn't much, and any defense could easily argue that she could've been bleeding for any number of reasons."

"Well," George spoke up, "I didn't actually see the act, but…I went back for her and saw Flint and two other Slytherins. All I really saw was them kinda surrounding her and Anna was on the ground. She had a bruise on her face, which apparently was from Flint punching her."

"Would you be willing to provide a detailed description of what you saw? Perhaps write it out?" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course." George answered instantly. Dumbledore opened a drawer in his desk, pulling out an inkwell with a quill and a roll of parchment. He passed it to George, who immediately started writing out his side of what happened.

"Ms. Black, could you give the names of the two Slytherins who helped Mr. Flint?" McGonagall asked suddenly.

Anna paused before shaking her head. "I recognized them from being on the Slytherin Quidditch team, and they were both wearing Quidditch uniforms, but I couldn't put names to their faces."

"Mr. Weasley? Did you recognize them?" Dumbledore asked George.

George paused in his writing, looking up thoughtfully. "Um, I can't quite remember seeing their faces, to be honest. It was dusty from when I had blasted the door open, and I was more focused on Anna at the time. But like she said, I vaguely remember them all wearing Quidditch uniforms, Slytherin colors."

McGonagall hurried over to a bookshelf, her finger skimming several book spines before she pulled one out. She opened it and turned the pages rapidly as she returned to the desk. As she placed it on the desktop, she turned it toward Anna and pointed at a picture of the Slytherin Quidditch team next to the date 1992.

"Was it any of these boys?"

Anna leaned forward, and the twins did the same on either side of her, to examine the moving, black-and-white photo. It had the current Slytherin Quidditch team, all in their uniforms with their new brooms, and smirking smugly at the camera.

Anna closely examined the faces. She recognized them all, obviously, either from classes or matches, but there were very few that she could actually name. Finally, her eyes found the Beaters, who each had a Beater's Bat slung over their shoulders. One of the Beaters had light skin, and his cropped hair was either very dark, or black since it was pitch black in the photo. He looked a bit older than her, either a fifth or sixth year if she had to guess.

"He's one. That Beater, there." Anna pointed at him. McGonagall turned the book just enough to see his face.

"Lucian Bole." she noted, scribbling the name down on a spare bit of parchment.

Anna went back to skimming the faces until she found the other boy. He looked about the same age as the other one, either fifteen or sixteen, but he was a bit taller and more well-built than most of the others, with the exception of Flint himself.

"That's the other one." she whispered, pointing at him.

"Miles Bletchley." McGonagall announced, writing that name down, as well. "What should we do first, Albus?" she asked the Headmaster quietly.

"Well, it would be best if this conversation doesn't leave this room for as long as possible. We don't want these boys to be tipped off before we're ready." he stated, giving the twins a particularly knowing look. "Which means no confronting them now that you know their names. Until then, I suggest we gather all the evidence we can, and I shall contact the Ministry about a trial. Of course, I'll have to owl your mother first, she needs to know about this first."

Anna nodded while McGonagall spoke up, "I was going to owl her after this, asking her to meet sometime on Saturday. Shall I tell her to use your Floo?"

"Yes, good idea, Minerva." Dumbledore nodded.

"Professor." George had put away his quill and had extended his hand, holding the parchment with his explanation.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley."

"And I expect you did better writing this than you usually do on your essays?" McGonagall raised an eyebrow expectantly.

George grinned, unabashed. "Of course."

"Well, if we've got your account and the blood, all we need, that I can think of, is Ms. Black's memory. And then I think we can be done for today." Dumbledore suggested.

"So, how does that work, exactly? How do you take the memory from my brain?" Anna asked anxiously.

"It's just a simple spell. I pull the memory and can place it in a small vial for safe keeping until I need it." Dumbledore assured her as he stood up.

Anna stood and Dumbledore approached her. He placed the tip of his wand to her temple.

"Now, I just want you to think back on the events of that afternoon, Ms. Black." he suggested gently.

Anna refrained from nodding and just closed her eyes. Her body went stiff as she remembered that afternoon. She forced herself to remain calm as she remembered the pain, her own screams, the tight grips on her arms. There was a light tickle against her temple.

"There. All done. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Dumbledore smiled gently at her, patting her shoulder. Anna refrained from saying maybe it wasn't for him. She didn't exactly _enjoy_ reliving quite possibly the worst moment of her life.

"Now, if that's everything, I think you three can rejoin your classmates. Professor McGonagall shall contact you, Ms. Black, about when your mother will be here."

The three students nodded and silently left the room.

As soon as they were down the steps and in the corridor, Anna leaned against Fred's side.

"I'm glad today's over."

XXX

"You sure you don't want us to be there?" George asked the same question him and Fred had been asking for about twenty-four hours.

"I'm sure." Annabelle turned and smiled at him and Fred as they walked down the corridor. "I need to be able to get through this on my own eventually. Might as well start now."

Both boys gave her identical understanding smiles, and she managed to draw strength from that. Before long, they reached the same gargoyle statue they'd gone to a couple days prior. Like last time, Professor McGonagall was waiting patiently in her usual emerald green robes and pointed hat.

"I'll see you guys later." Anna whispered, stopping and giving the twins a group hug. She'd meant for it to be quick, but both twins tightened their holds on her and kept together in a tight, comforting group hug. Anna appreciated it and briefly buried her face in between their shoulders before pulling away. She gave them a smile over her shoulder before following McGonagall into Dumbledore's office.

"Ah, Ms. Black. Good morning so far?" Dumbledore asked kindly from his desk.

"Yes sir, it's been okay." Anna answered with a nod as she approached the desk.

"Good, good. Now, your mother should be here any minute, I expect. And Professor McGonagall and I will give you both some time alone."

Anna nodded again just as a fireplace in the far corner burst to life with a flash of green flames. A second later, Wren Black stepped out of the flames in a black traveling cloak, her short, brown hair blowing around her face until she was free of the fireplace.

"Ah, Mrs. Black. Good to see you again, my dear." Dumbledore stepped forward and offered a hand for Wren to shake. She took it with a small smile.

"You, as well, Dumbledore." she glanced at Anna, who had gone mildly pale, and then McGonagall before her green eyes returned to the Headmaster. "Now, why is it you've called me here?"

"Well, how about you have a seat?" Dumbledore waved his wand and a comfy-looking green couch appeared in the space. He gestured toward it and Anna hesitantly took a seat on the end. Wren slipped her cloak from her shoulders and draped it over the back of the couch and sat down, as well.

"Now, your daughter has something she needs to tell you, and I suggest you listen and support her. Professor McGonagall and I shall step out and when you are both ready, you may come and get us."

Anna and Wren both nodded, the latter looking very confused and concerned, and the two Professors walked out and closed the door behind them. When they were alone, Wren turned to look at Anna with concern.

"Darling, what's this all about?" the clear worry in her voice made Anna look down.

"Well,…something happened." Anna admitted slowly, unsure how to start or what to say. She should've thought this through before!

"What kind of something?" Wren asked apprehensively, tilting her head in an attempt to get a look at her daughter's face.

Anna swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "Well,…it happened after our Quidditch match against Slytherin…" Another lump worked its way back into her throat, cutting off her words. She didn't know how to say it. She couldn't hurt her mum like that, it would ruin her.

"Anna, sweetie, please." Wren begged, reaching over and taking her daughter's hand in her own. "Please, tell me what this is about."

Anna took in a deep, yet shaky, breath. "I tried to stop them." she whispered desperately, looking up at her mum with glistening, gray eyes. Wren's heart dropped at the fear and pain in her daughter's eyes. "I really did, mum, I promise I tried to stop them!"

"Stop who, Anna?" Wren cut in, her own voice shaking.

"He…" Anna swallowed again, a tear slipping down her cheek. "He raped me." she finally forced out, clenching her eyes shut and turning away, unable to take the disappointment she would surely see in her mum's eyes.

A thick, suffocating silence fell over the room for several moments. Then, there was a quiet, shaky intake of breath a second before an arm wrapped around Anna's shoulders. Anna was turned into her mother and she instantly released a sob into her mum's chest, wrapping her arms tightly around her.

Wren held her daughter closer, tears dripping into her daughter's hair, which was a slight blue color.

"I'm sorry, mum." Anna sobbed, "I'm so sorry, I really tried to stop him, I promise-"

Wren shushed her gently, her hand running through Anna's hair repeatedly. "It's okay, sweetie. I'm here, you're going to be okay. I love you so much, sweetie."

Anna's grip on her mum tightened, her fingers instinctively fisting the fabric of her mum's form fitted jumper. After several minutes, her sobbing quieted down until she was just sniffling every few seconds. Only then did Wren gently pull away, her thumbs wiping her daughter's tears from her cheeks before she wiped her own away.

"Now, who did this to you?" Wren finally asked, tucking a piece of hair behind Anna's ear.

"Marcus Flint. He's a seventh year Slytherin." Anna answered quietly. "He had a couple other Slytherins help him hold me down, but…it was him that…" Anna trailed off with a nod, knowing her mum would understand.

Wren swallowed, nodding once in response. "When?"

"The day of our Quidditch match against Slytherin. Early November."

Wren's green eyes were sharp. "And why am I just hearing about this _now_?"

Anna looked down. "Well,…I didn't want to tell anyone…but then the twins dragged it out of me, and then McGonagall asked if something was wrong, so I had to tell her, and then she told Dumbledore and insisted on telling you. And here we are."

Wren nodded once again. "And I'm assuming we're going to pursue a case against him?"

"McGonagall wants to, yes." Anna admitted.

"Good." Wren's eyes softened again. "Is there anything else you want to talk about before we bring them back in?"

Anna thought for a moment. "Not really, no."

"You're sure? Are you coping okay?" Wren asked gently with a pointed glance at Anna's hair.

"Yeah. The twins have been helping me through it. I'll probably really need their support when this gets out. As soon as Dumbledore contacts the Ministry about this, I expect Flint will be informed, and then the whole school will know."

Wren leaned down and kissed the top of Anna's head, brushing her hair back gently. "It'll all work out, darling. I promise." she whispered before standing up and approaching the door to the office and opening it. A moment later, McGonagall and Dumbledore entered the room.

A few minutes later, Dumbledore had added a couple comfy chairs for himself and Professor McGonagall, and a small coffee table with four mugs of tea for all of them.

"Now, I'll owl the Ministry some time later today. It may take a few months for a trial date to be worked out; the Wizengamot has a rather busy schedule. As Chief Warlock, I will most likely be the one to preside over the trial, of course there's always the chance someone may claim I'm playing favorites and have someone take my place for the trial. Either way, myself and/or Professor McGonagall will be there to support you, and the evidence we gathered shall be offered before the Wizengamot."

"What evidence do we have?" Wren asked seriously.

"It's not much, I'll say that right now." McGonagall admitted, setting her tea down on the coffee table. "If Ms. Black had come forward as soon as it happened Madam Pomfrey could have given her an examination, and then it'd be nearly impossible for Mr. Flint to be found innocent. As it is, all we really have is Ms. Black's memory of the event, and Mr. Weasley, I believe it was George, wrote down his testimony as he happened to witness some of it, and we have a sample of Ms. Black's blood, which the Weasley twins collected from the Quidditch shed floor."

"This happened in the Quidditch shed?" Wren questioned, sounding like she was going to be sick as she looked down at her daughter. Anna nodded silently, feeling a bit nauseous herself at the reminder.

"George came back for me and saved me." she whispered before taking another sip of her tea.

"We can't really work much else out until the trial date is set. It won't happen until sometime in the summer, I'm sure of that. Until then, we'll be in touch, Mrs. Black." Dumbledore announced, standing up. It was a silent declaration that their discussion was coming to an end.

"Thank you." Wren answered, pulling her traveling cloak over her shoulders before pulling her daughter into a tight hug.

"Love you, Mum." Anna whispered into her mum's shoulder.

"Love you, too, sweetie." Wren whispered into her hair. She kissed the top of Anna's head before pulling away and disappearing in a flash of green flames.


	28. Flint's Howler

February, while not overly eventful, was interesting. Hermione was released from the hospital wing in the beginning of the month and refused to tell anyone why she'd been in there in the first place.

Valentine's Day came and went, and Annabelle was extremely relieved when it was over. Lockhart had gone over the top, decorating the Great Hall with large, pink flowers with heart-shaped confetti falling from a pale blue ceiling. He also sent out card-carrying cupids. Ginny sent one to Harry, which Malfoy embarrassed her about, and the twins teased Harry that night in the common room, skipping around and singing what the card had sang.

"His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad, his hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine, he's really divine, the hero who conquered the Dark Lord."

Anna had to admit, Ginny could be rather poetic when she wanted to be. She was just relieved the twins hadn't done anything extremely embarrassing to Anna herself. She half expected them to sing her a sonnet or something in front of one of their classes to make her laugh. Instead, they both kissed her on the cheeks at breakfast and put a pink crown of flowers on her head. Of course, they'd put a charm on the crown so only one of them could remove it, which they refused to do until bedtime. So, she'd had to go around the school all day with the pink flower crown on her head. She didn't mind it, though, because it could've been much worse, and very few people laughed at her.

A few days before Valentine's Day, Anna had sat Alicia, Angelina, and Katie down and told them what Flint had done, because she didn't want to push her luck and have them find out from Flint. She wasn't sure when he'd find out about the trial, but she didn't want him to tell everyone else before she told her friends. They, of course, were very supportive and they all had a sleepover, pushing two beds together and eating chocolate and staying up well into the night. Katie especially refused to leave her side when she could everyday after unless the twins were with her.

A little under a week after Valentine's Day, Anna went down to breakfast, chatting away with the twins about how crazy Wood was becoming about practices. Their conversation continued until the mail came. Anna didn't get anything, and neither did the twins. They started up another conversation about how stupid Snape was when-

 **"YOU IMBECILE!"**

The Great Hall fell silent as every head turned to look toward the Slytherin table, some people even standing up to look.

A small, red envelope was laying out on the table in front of Marcus Flint, and he was staring down at it in shocked horror as a very shrill, female voice screeched from it.

 **"WE WERE JUST NOTIFIED BY THE MINISTRY THAT YOU'RE BEING CHARGED FOR** _ **RAPE**_ **! BY SOME** _ **ANNABELLE BLACK**_ **! NOW YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FACE THE WHOLE WIZENGAMOT FOR A TRIAL! YOU BETTER HOPE YOU'RE FOUND INNOCENT YOU BRAINLESS TWIT, OR WE'RE CUTTING YOU OFF!"**

With that, the Howler burst into flames on the table. For once, the sight of someone receiving a Howler didn't cause any laughter. Not a single snicker filled the silent hall as nearly everyone slowly turned to stare at the Gryffindor table.

Right at Annabelle.

Anna forced her breathing to remain calm as hundreds of eyes burned into her, but the murderous glint in Flint's eyes as he glared at her nearly sent her into a panic attack. Several of the Gryffindors were looking at her with shock, pity, or sympathy, and she assumed several from the other houses looked similar. The Slytherins, on the other hand, either looked angry or smug.

A hand landed on each of her shoulders and she glanced up to see that the twins were still at her sides, glaring around at anyone who dared to say anything.

Anna shifted and whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "I want to leave. Please."

"You don't have to run away. They'll stop staring in a minute." George argued.

"Please." Anna turned and begged, revealing that her eyes were shining with tears that she wasn't sure she could keep in for much longer. George saw this and nodded once.

Together, the three of them stood up and slowly left the Great Hall. The stares followed them until they were in the entrance hall and no one could see them any longer.

A couple tears had escaped down Anna's cheeks and her chest was heaving as she tried to suppress her sobs, and she couldn't breathe properly with her throat closing.

Fred took her hand and lead her to one of the hidden passages behind a tapestry. He pushed the picture aside and lead her inside, followed by George. While George put a Silencing Charm up around the passage, Fred pulled Anna into a tight hug as her throat finally opened, allowing a ragged sob to escape.

"Everyone knows." she cried. "I knew it would happen, but I thought he'd start a rumor. Him getting a Howler about it is so much worse, because everyone knows it's true."

"Shh." Fred whispered into her ear, running his hand over her back in a soothing pattern. "It'll be okay, Anna. Did you see the looks on some people's faces? Most of them felt bad for you-"

"I don't want pity!" she cried. "I can't get past this if everyone pities me!"

"I know, I know." Fred soothed.

"What Fred was getting at, is that if they feel bad for you, they clearly believe you. Most of the school is going to believe you over Flint. And chances are most of them will have your back." George pointed out, resting his hand near the top of her back while Fred continued rubbing her lower back.

Anna sniffled, turning to rest the side of her head on Fred's chest so she could see George. "I hate this." she mumbled.

"I know." they both murmured.

Taking a deep breath, Anna pulled away, lifting both hands to scrub the tears from her eyes and cheeks. When she finally let her hands drop, she looked at Fred's chest.

"I ruined your uniform." she muttered guiltily.

The twins burst out laughing and Anna couldn't help a small twitch of her lips.

"Don't worry, my uniform always looks messy." Fred teased. He pulled his wand out and waved it, and all signs of tearstains and snot vanished from his school robes. "See? All better."

XXX

The next couple months weren't exactly pleasant, but they weren't as horrible as Annabelle expected them to be.

Flint tried causing problems, spreading rumors and pretty much claiming she had 'wanted it'. Very few people believed him, the Slytherins being the only people to back him up and taunt her in the corridors. However, seeing as Anna was always flanked by the twins, the girls, or the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team; there was rarely an opportunity for anyone to actually hurt or threaten her.

Aside from that, Anna had begun studying for finals so she wouldn't be too swamped. She was also jealous of the twins, who hardly ever studied and still managed to get good grades. Usually any bad grades they got were almost on purpose, but they'd sworn her to secrecy when she figured that out. Wouldn't want people thinking they were _smart_.

The month before Gryffindor's next match, Wood decided to have practices every night. A few times he asked Anna if she was sure she could handle playing, saying Katie could fill in for her if she didn't feel up to it. Anna could tell he was more worried about her not being on top of her game in the match, but she didn't hold it against him much. He was always a bit obsessed about winning to the point of not taking others' wellbeing into consideration. But she insisted she could handle it.

Finally, the morning of Gryffindor's match against Hufflepuff came the second weekend of May. Wood was particularly cheerful, almost to the point of being irritating, as he piled everyone's plates with scrambled eggs.

"Honestly, Oliver, I can't eat this much scrambled eggs on a normal day." Anna complained after his tenth scoop of eggs on her plate.

Fred laughed and scooped some from her plate onto his. "Yeah, Oliver. Feed her too much and she may just roll off her broom."

Anna glared at him, elbowing him in the ribs.

After they ate everyone went to their rooms to gather their brooms.

After changing into their gear, Wood lead the whole team out onto the pitch and they began making warm up loops.

Fred sped up on Anna's left and suddenly flipped up and spun over her head, his hair grazing hers. Anna shook her head at him, laughing when he was flying on her other side. Then, her eyes caught movement below and she saw Professor McGonagall marching across the pitch with a huge, purple megaphone. Anna just pointed her out to the twins when the stern teacher lifted the megaphone to her mouth.

"This match has been cancelled."

Anna and the twins slowed down, looking at each other in bewilderment as their brooms floated on the wind. The packed stadium erupted in boos as Oliver landed and ran toward their Head of House without getting off his broom. Any other day, Anna would've laughed herself silly at the sight of his broom wagging back and forth from between his legs. The rest of the team drifted toward the ground, curious as to what was happening. Oliver appeared to be arguing desperately, but McGonagall paid him no attention.

"All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"

Anna dismounted her broom, as did the others. As they made their way back toward the castle, Anna glanced over her shoulder to see McGonagall hurriedly gesturing Harry and Ron after her. A sinking feeling appeared in her gut. Even the most horrible of weather didn't get Quidditch matches cancelled. Something truly, horribly awful must've happened to cause this to happen. And considering McGonagall wanted to talk to Harry and Ron…Anna couldn't help noticing the third, bushy-haired member of their little trio was missing…

XXX

Anna was sitting on the ground, her back against George's knees as he and Fred sat on the couch behind her in the common room. McGonagall was in the middle of explaining that the match had been cancelled due to another attack. This time on Hermione Granger and Penelope Clearwater.

Their Head of House was reading from a piece of parchment. "All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities." She rolled the parchment up and continued in a more choked voice, which easily said how worried she was. McGonagall never broke, especially in front of students.

"I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."

With that, she turned and climbed back out through the portrait hole. As soon as it swung shut behind her, everyone turned and began talking.

"That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff." Lee counted off on his fingers, "Haven't _any_ of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it _obvious_ all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The _Heir_ of Slytherin, the _monster_ of Slytherin-why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" Nods and applause met Lee's declaration, the twins even voicing their own support. Anna remained quiet, still mildly in shock.

"Percy's in shock." George's quiet voice made Anna look over her shoulder at him. He was talking to Harry. "That Ravenclaw girl, Penelope Clearwater, she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a _prefect_."

Anna's eyes drifted to where they were looking. Percy was sitting in a chair behind Lee, looking pale and in shock. Anna had never seen him look so out of sorts. He was always so put together. Glancing around, Anna's eyes landed on the pot of tea and empty mugs that had been brought up for all of them.

Slowly, she rolled onto her knees and poured a cup of tea. She wasn't sure how Percy liked his tea, so she just added a scoop of sugar and stirred before standing up. She could feel the twins watching her as she moved around the chairs and couches.

When she reached Percy's side, she hesitantly laid a hand on his shoulder. He barely jumped and looked slowly up at her. She gave him a small smile and held the cup of tea out for him.

"You look like you could use this." she told him.

He looked at it for a moment, as if in a daze, before lifting his eyes and giving her a small smile. Taking the mug slowly from her hand, he said in a dull version of his usual voice, "Thank you, Annabelle."

"You're welcome." She squeezed his shoulder once before returning to her spot with the twins.

XXX

The next day, everyone woke to horrible news. By order of the school governors, Dumbledore had been removed from the school. This caused a small panic among the students, most believing that without Dumbledore the monster would attack nearly everyday.

Almost as horrible, in Annabelle's opinion, was that _Hagrid_ had been taken to Azkaban, believed to be the one who had released the monster on the students. Anna didn't know how anyone in their right mind could suspect Hagrid of something so horrible. Yes, he had a strange love for scary, dangerous creatures, but he would never put others in harms way.

At lunch that day, Anna was approached by Professor McGonagall. This caused her stomach to drop, thinking it was about the trial against Flint.

"Ms. Black. Before he was taken to Azkaban, Hagrid asked that someone take care of his animals, particularly Fang. He asked if it could be you, specifically."

Anna nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay, I can do that."

"The only problem is that, as you should remember, students aren't allowed to walk around without a teacher. So, you'll need to be escorted when you go down to Hagrid's hut."

"Okay. Of course, Professor. Um, when should we do that?" Anna asked curiously.

"Well, for today, I can take you down there when you've finished eating here. After today, perhaps before breakfast every morning? Say, seven?"

"Sure, that works. Thank you, Professor."

McGonagall gave her a small smile. "You hardly need to thank me for giving you an extra chore, Ms. Black."

Anna shrugged. "I don't see it as a chore, Professor. I just wish no one needed to waste time escorting me."

McGonagall nodded. "Well, when you're finished we'll go down there. And after today, you can meet me in the entrance hall at seven every morning."

XXX

The next couple weeks were rather boring, to be honest. They were escorted to classes in groups by teachers. The common room was overly crowded after six every evening, almost to the point of being claustrophobic. It got to the point that Anna preferred to either hang out in her dormitory with the girls, or with the twins in their dormitory. She was also getting extremely annoyed with Lockhart frequently bashing Hagrid, commenting on how he always knew Hagrid was up to no good. She seriously wanted to hex him.

One night Anna stayed up later than usual. The twins decided to challenge Ron and Harry to a few games of Exploding Snap, since the two had been acting a bit strange lately. Anna watched from the couch while Ginny occupied one of the comfy chairs. She seemed rather subdued and pale, but every time Anna tried to start a conversation it fell flat.

It didn't escape Anna's notice that Harry and Ron were doing horribly at the game. After a while though, she suspected they were doing so on purpose, though she couldn't fathom why. Around midnight, Anna finally decided to go to bed before she fell asleep on the couch.

The next morning, Anna met Professor McGonagall at seven on the dot in the entrance hall and they walked down to Hagrid's hut in companionable silence. It was usually the Head of Gryffindor House who escorted her in the mornings, though a couple times it was Professor Sprout, and once it was Lockhart, which was horrible.

McGonagall stood a good meter back from the door when Anna approached the small hut. She'd learned early on that Fang loved to jump on people. So she let Anna take the brunt of the 'attack', since she didn't mind.

However, when Anna opened the door, there was no giant boarhound jumping on her. She pushed the door further open, her brows furrowed in confusion as she listened. Finally, a quiet whimpering reached her ears. Worried, she followed the sound to Fang's sleeping basket. To her surprise, she found a large lump hidden under Fang's blanket in the basket.

"Fang?" she asked, approaching and kneeling down by the basket. She gently pulled the blanket up to reveal Fang's nose. He was cowering into the basket, continuously whimpering and trembling. "Fang, what's wrong?" she asked quietly, pushing the blanket away more. Fang crawled halfway out of the basket and rested his chin and front paws on Anna's lap. Anna was about to ask him if he missed Hagrid, when her eyes landed on his back.

His coat was covered in little scratches, a few coated in drops of dried blood. They didn't look serious, but Anna had no idea where he could've possibly got them. She was the only one who ever let him out for a walk.

Running her hands over his back, she felt a few little thorns embedded in his short coat. She plucked a few out with her fingers just as the front door creaked.

"Ms. Black? What's taking so long?" Professor McGonagall's voice was both stern and worried.

"Fang's freaked out about something, and he's covered in scratches and thorns." Anna answered. "If it's okay, I'd like to clean up his scratches before I do anything else, Professor." she admitted, looking over her shoulder and giving the older woman a hopeful look.

McGonagall looked down at the pitiful dog halfway in the girl's lap and sighed. "Very well."

Anna quickly grabbed a potion Hagrid kept in his cabinet and dabbed a rag in it. She carefully ran the rag over Fang's scratches while also gently picking all the thorns out with her fingers. It only took about ten minutes, and when she was done she tried to get Fang to come for a quick walk, but he refused to leave the hut, so she just filled his bowl up nice and full before leaving with Professor McGonagall.

For the rest of the day, Anna couldn't help but wonder what happened to Fang. The only way he could've got that many thorns in his coat was if he was in the Dark Forest, but he usually didn't go in there alone, and when he did go in there he didn't usually get that scared. Something didn't add up.

 **XXX**

 **So, I didn't realize until now that, since FF labeled the Prologue as Chapter 1, my Ch 27 is labeled as 28. So, don't worry, this isn't the last chapter. I have one more chapter, and then the sequel.**


	29. End of a Horrible Year

"Your hair's not so blue anymore." Fred commented as they entered the Great Hall a few days later.

Anna took a piece of her hair and lifted it so she could see. Sure enough, some of her typical brown was just visible through the faded dull blue.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe soon my hair will be back to normal." she commented.

"Well, I wouldn't ever call your hair _normal_ , considering you can change its color at will and all that." Fred pointed out with a smirk.

"Good point." Anna agreed as they took their seats, George a few steps behind them with Lee. Just as the last of the students were sitting down and serving their breakfast, Professor McGonagall stood up from her seat at the High Table, causing everyone to fall silent as they waited for her to speak.

"I have good news."

Instantly, the Great Hall erupted with dozens of people voicing what they thought the news was.

"Dumbledore's coming back!" several people shouted.

"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" a Ravenclaw girl squealed excitedly.

"Quidditch matches are back on!" Wood shouted.

In true McGonagall fashion, she waited until everyone quieted down before continuing. "Professor Sprout has informed me that the mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

There was an explosion of sound as everyone in the Hall erupted in cheers, the twins even standing up in their seats and yelling at the top of their lungs. It took everyone nearly ten minutes to calm down and go back to finishing their breakfast before their first class.

XXX

When the fourth year Gryffindors were finished with Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall walked them to the Great Hall, where they could wait for lunch, hang out, and maybe study for exams, which started in three days. Of course, with the Weasley twins at her side, there was no way Anna was getting any studying in.

They were bored waiting for their next class, so Anna was flicking crumbs at the twins, who made circular goals out of their thumbs and index fingers. Their game was interrupted by McGonagall's voice echoing loudly in the halls, clearly magically magnified.

"All students are to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately please."

Anna exchanged a worried glance with the other Gryffindor fourth years, but they all stood up silently, along with everyone else in the Great Hall, and headed toward their common room.

Anna and the twins sat curled up on the couch by the common room fire, their friends around them. Katie was squished down onto the couch with them, so Anna was snuggled between her and George. Pretty much every single Gryffindor was in the common room, sitting on every chair, table, and space on the floor. It was nearly impossible to move around without nearly stepping on someone. They waited for a good half hour, speculating what could've happened, before Professor McGonagall entered through the portrait hole.

Everyone fell silent and turned to look at her, waiting anxiously for some kind of explanation. Her eyes scanned the room, lingering faintly on the group on the couch, and near the far corner, where Anna noticed Percy was sitting with some other Gryffindor prefects.

"I'm afraid I have some…grave news." McGonagall finally started speaking. Anna instantly tensed with worry. "It has just been brought to our attention that a student has been taken into the chamber itself." she admitted slowly.

Gasps fill the room, several people glancing among themselves with horrified expressions before they turned back to her, hoping for more of an explanation.

"We have someone who has volunteered to go into the chamber to try and save her…but I fear any attempts will be futile. And you should all know, as well, that there is a very good chance that Hogwarts will be closing tomorrow."

Disappointed murmurs went around the room before a seventh year girl spoke up, "Do you know who was taken into the chamber, Professor?"

Professor McGonagall took a subtle, deep breath through her nose, her eyes flickering once again to the group sitting on the couch.

Finally, she seemed to work up the nerve and say, "Ginny Weasley."

Anna felt like a lead brick had landed in her stomach, her head turning in slow motion to look at George next to her, and Fred just past him. Both their faces had paled before her eyes, their eyes glazed over as if in shock.

Everyone in the room had turned to look at one or all of the Weasleys; the twins, Percy in the corner, and Ron sitting nearby with Harry.

"I shall let you all know if anything changes, and your dinner will be sent up here. I want no one leaving the common room." McGonagall continued quietly before leaving through the portrait hole.

It was dead silence that followed, no one even seemed to want to break into their groups to whisper. No one knew what to say.

Then, Fred and George silently stood up from the couch and moved to sit with Harry and Ron in the corner. Anna would've let them be, unsure if they wanted her with them, but Fred had grabbed her hand when he stood up and pulled her with them. So, they all sat in a ragged circle in the corner, no one knowing what to say as they stared blankly at the floor. Everyone moved away from their group, seeing that they needed to be left alone. Percy only stopped by to tell them he was going to write to their mum and dad before going up to his room.

The afternoon dragged on with little to no conversation among the entire Gryffindor House. Anna found herself repeatedly checking the clock on the wall, feeling as if it was frozen. Eventually, she ended up leaning her head on George's shoulder while Fred laid on his back on the floor, his head in her lap.

Anna didn't know what to think. She may not have been best friends with Ginny, but she did consider the young girl a friend. She cared about her, and had been worried about her multiple times over the school year. And what would the Weasleys do? She was the baby of the family. Molly and Arthur's only daughter, the baby sister of all the boys. It would tear them all apart. She could already see the guilt burning in the twins' eyes.

When the sun was setting, casting a reddish glow in the common room, the twins both stood up.

"We're going to bed." George explained quietly when Anna, Harry, and Ron looked up at them.

Anna looked at them both worriedly. "Are you sure? You haven't had dinner yet."

They both shrugged simultaneously. "We're not hungry." they answered together.

"Oh, okay. Well,…do you want me to…I mean, could I…" Anna trailed off, unsure how to word her request, or if they'd even accept it.

But they both smiled gratefully and Fred jerked his head toward their staircase. Smiling, Anna stood up.

"I'll just stop up in my dormitory and change into my pajamas. I'll meet you in your room in a minute."

So, she rushed up to her own room and quickly changed into her pajamas before going to the twins' dormitory. The twins had already changed into their own pajamas and were laying in George's bed, facing each other on their sides. Fred looked over his shoulder at Anna just as she entered the room. He scooted closer to George and patted the space left on the bed behind him. Smiling sadly, Anna approached and carefully laid down on her side behind Fred, curling close to his back.

They laid in silence for several minutes, no one near sleep. Finally, Anna needed to talk.

"You guys don't blame yourselves, right?"

Their silence was answer enough. Anna draped her arm over Fred's side and took George's hand in her own.

"It's not your fault. There was nothing you could've done."

"Why would she be taken?" George whispered. "She's a pureblood. She never did anything to anyone. Why would she be taken out of everyone in the castle?"

"I don't know." Anna whispered, turning her head and resting her cheek against Fred's back.

"She's been wanting to come here for years. She was _so_ excited when she finally got her Hogwarts letter." Fred whispered just loud enough for Anna to hear him with his back to her. "But she's been unhappy for months and we never did anything. We tried to make her laugh and talk to her, but…"

"We should've done something." George whispered when Fred trailed off.

"You did your best." Anna whispered. "All of you did. You guys tried to make her feel better in the best way you knew how, to make her laugh."

"But it wasn't enough." Fred whispered.

They fell silent, none of them having any other words to make the situation better. They eventually dozed off close to midnight. It seemed like they'd only just fallen asleep when Anna felt something shaking. She blinked her eyes open, hearing someone talking.

"Mr. Weasley! Mr. Weasley! Ms. Black! Wake up, they found your sister!"

Anna shot up, accidentally knocking heads with Fred when he did the same. Professor McGonagall was standing at the side of the bed.

"What? What happened?" the twins demanded, climbing out bed.

"I'm sure your brother and Mr. Potter will be happy to tell you the story." she explained hurriedly, "Your parents are with your sister down in the hospital wing! I shall go wake your older brother." she told them, backing toward the door, "Oh, and Ms. Black?" Anna looked up as the professor turned back to her, "I'll let this slide," she gestured to her and the twins in the same bed, "but don't make a habit of it."

Anna blushed instantly, "I won't, Professor. I was just supporting my friends."

McGonagall smiled slightly. "I know."

When she disappeared up the stairs to wake Percy, the twins hurriedly slipped on their slippers and rushed toward the door, but they paused and looked back when they realized Anna wasn't following them. She smiled at them, still sitting on the edge of George's bed.

"Well? Are you coming or not?" Fred demanded.

"You want me to?" she checked, surprised.

"Of course!" they both exclaimed. Anna smiled, quickly pulling her slippers back on and rushing out the door after them. Anna followed them in a sprint down the corridors until they threw the hospital wing doors open with a _bang_.

Molly and Arthur were sitting next to a bed, which Ginny was sitting up in and drinking a mug of something. They all looked up at the loud entrance.

"Ginny!" the twins shouted, bolting forward. Ginny sat up straighter and placed her mug on the bedside table in time for George to hug her tightly. After a few seconds he stepped back and let Fred do the same. Ginny was covered in grime and she had tear tracks trailing down her cheeks, but she was smiling.

While Anna stayed back, she glanced around. She noticed Madam Pomfrey giving some kind of potion to one of the Petrified students. A thrill ran through her when she realized it must be the Mandrake juice.

Within a few minutes, Percy rushed in, glanced anxiously at one of the Petrified students, and then hurried over to his family to check on his sister. A moment later, Ron came in pulling a stumbling Lockhart with him. They were both disheveled and covered in grime, and Lockhart looked dazed as he looked around the room with complete awe.

Madam Pomfrey hurried over and helped Lockhart into a bed so Ron could join the family.

"Hey, Ron?" Anna whispered when he came to a stop next to her. When he turned to her, she continued, "Why's Lockhart here? Did he get hurt?"

Ron snorted, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh, he tried to use a Memory charm on me and Harry when we were going down to the chamber and accidentally hit himself. He doesn't remember a thing."

Anna snorted also. "Maybe if we're lucky he won't be our teacher next year. Anyway, where is Harry?"

"Dumbledore kept him behind to talk. Not sure what it was about." he answered with a shrug.

"Oh, Anna!" Anna jumped at the sudden voice of Molly addressing her. The motherly woman stood up and hurried around her daughter's bed to hug her. "Oh, sweetie, your mother told us about the trial! I'm so sorry this had to happen to you!"

Anna instantly blushed, looking awkwardly over Molly's shoulder as the twins and Arthur gave her sympathetic grimaces.

"Oh, um, thanks, but I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley." Anna mumbled as the woman pulled back.

"Oh, dear, call me Molly, honestly." Molly smiled before turning to fix the twins with a stern look. "And I certainly hope you two have been supporting her through this, as well."

The twins looked affronted. "Of course we are!"

"They really have, Molly." Anna agreed, "They've been great, honestly."

"Good." Molly stated, "And just remember, dear, we're all here for you."

Anna blushed, looking down and wishing the ground would swallow her. "I know. Thank you."

Luckily, Madam Pomfrey chose that moment to stop by and check on Ginny, pulling everyone's attention back to the little redhead.

"Well, physically you're doing much better. There's really not much more I can do, the rest will be all up to you and your friends and family." Pomfrey told her gently. "If you want to have some more time with your parents, you can stay here for a while, but I've been informed they're throwing a feast down in the Great Hall to celebrate all this being over. If you all want to head down there, you're free to go."

Ginny looked at her parents questioningly.

Molly smiled and tucked some of Ginny's long hair behind her ear. "We need to get home. I need to write to Bill and Charlie to let them know you're okay. Why don't you go down to the feast and have a good time with your brothers and friends?"

Ginny smiled, looking both nervous and relieved. "Okay."

"You could sit with me and the twins, if you want to, Ginny." Anna told her gently, wanting the young girl to know she always had a place if she needed it.

Ginny's smiled widened just a bit. "Thanks, Anna."

They stayed for a few more minutes before Molly and Arthur left and the kids headed for the Great Hall. Fred gave Ginny a piggyback down the corridor, making her giggle and smile.

"So, we're having a feast in the middle of the night, in our pajamas?" Anna commented as they reached the entrance hall. Ginny slid off her brother's back and they stepped into the already-crowded Great Hall.

"I'm not complaining." Fred grinned as they all headed toward the Gryffindor table. Everyone watched them, beaming happily at the sight of the youngest Weasley safe and sound. Fred, George, and Anna sat among their friends while Ron and Ginny sat right across from them. While still tired and pale, Ginny looked truly happy like she hadn't in ages. As if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Harry joined them as the food was served, looking worse than Ron and Ginny, but still beaming. He was covered in dust and had some bloody scratches marring his skin, but he didn't seem to mind as he sat next to Ron and served himself some food.

As they were all eating and talking happily, the doors opened and all the students who had been Petrified entered the Great Hall. Hermione Granger instantly ran toward Harry and Ron, who stood up to greet her excitedly. She was practically screaming, "You solved it! You solved it!" before throwing her arms around them both in a tight hug, which they returned.

At around half past 3, Anna couldn't stop herself when Hagrid arrived in the Great Hall. She jumped to her feet and hurried over to hug him, quickly followed by Harry. He was big enough that both of them could hug him at once, his huge hand nearly covering Anna's whole back as he returned the hug. They only pulled away when Dumbledore, who had been reinstated as the Headmaster, asked everyone to return to their seats.

Blushing as several people were staring at her, Anna returned to her seat between Fred and George and waited for Dumbledore to speak.

"We have a few announcements to make. To put rumors to rest, Slytherin's monster was a basilisk, a large serpent with the ability to kill it's victims by merely making eye contact. Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Ronald Weasley made the courageous trip into the Chamber of Secrets and Harry single-handedly defeated the serpent with a sword. For their efforts, I am awarding them 200 points each. Which, I believe if my math is correct, earns Gryffindor the House Cup for the second year in a row."

Everyone at the Gryffindor table stood up, cheers erupting and echoing off the walls. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff cheered enthusiastically as well, while all the Slytherins scowled, very few of them giving a few polite claps.

McGonagall stood up alongside Dumbledore, waiting until the cheers had died down and everyone had returned to their seats. Fred and George were the last to do so, having stood up on the table.

"Also, as a school treat, all final exams for this year have been cancelled."

Even the Slytherins couldn't scowl at that bit of news, though Anna laughed when she noticed Hermione actually looked disappointed. Everyone else cheered yet again.

"Finally," Dumbledore raised a hand and waited for them to fall quiet again, "I should also inform you that Professor Lockhart will be unable to return as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor next year because he needs to go away and get his memory back."

Anna gave both Fred and George a high five. Everyone pretended to be disappointed, but it was easy to see no one, not even the Professors, would miss him. Except maybe a few of his fan girls.

XXX

With the feast lasting well into the morning, and no exams, everyone spent the next morning relaxing and enjoying the freedom of a monster-free Hogwarts. Too full from the feast to eat breakfast, Annabelle rested her head on her hands atop the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. She was completely at ease listening to the twins bicker back and forth about something.

"Ms. Black."

Anna instantly sat bolt upright and turned to see Professor McGonagall standing behind her. Unlike last night, when she'd been joyful and carefree-looking, the stern Transfiguration Professor looked stressed and worried.

"Yes?" Anna asked worriedly. The twins had stopped talking and were watching the exchange as well.

Taking a deep breath, McGonagall held a piece of folded parchment out for her. "This arrived at my office this morning."

Anna's stomach dropped as she slowly took the parchment from her, not moving her eyes away from her Professor.

"It's about the trial, isn't it?"

McGonagall gave one brief nod.

Taking a deep breath, Anna looked down and unfolded the parchment. She mostly skimmed the letter, her mind not taking in any of the words until she found a date.

' _Ms. Annabelle Black's trial against Marcus Flint has been scheduled in Courtroom 8 at the Ministry of Magic for 10:00 AM on July 24_ _th_ _.'_

Anna took a deep breath. "The trial's on July 24th." she announced quietly so the twins knew.

"Yes. Your mother probably got the same notice, since you're a minor." McGonagall told her gently.

Anna nodded slowly, clearing her throat. She slowly held the letter out back for her professor to take. "Thank you for telling me, Professor."

McGonagall nodded, taking the parchment slowly. "I'll also remind you, that I will be joining you and your mother for the trial, as your defense so to speak should the trial take a turn. I'll be meeting you there that morning. I'll work out the details with your mother soon."

"Okay, thank you." Anna nodded slowly.

Professor McGonagall looked at war with herself before resting her hand on Anna's shoulder. "Whether we win or not, it'll all work out, Ms. Black." she assured her before turning and leaving the Great Hall.

XXX

Anna dragged her trunk onto the train, stuffing it into the space above her seat in a compartment. The twins followed her lead before they all sat down. Ariel hooted from her cage at Anna's feet, so Anna stuck her finger through the bars to scratch her head.

"I'll let you out as soon as we get home, Ariel. I promise." Anna told her quietly.

They were joined in their compartment by Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Anna had noticed that Ginny was acting more and more like her usual self. Happy, fun, and strong-willed.

"Hey, Anna?" Fred asked quietly from his spot next to her. "Are you going to tell Charlie what happened before the trial?"

Anna froze for a moment before taking a deep breath through her nose. "I…I don't know." she admitted, putting her hand to her forehead. "I wanted to tell him to his face. That's just not something you tell someone over a letter, you know?" she told him looking up to see Fred and George both looking at her. They nodded in understanding. "But I suppose I'm running out of options, huh? I'd prefer he know before the trial, that's for sure. But I think I'm putting it off."

"Well,…you never know. Maybe Mum can convince him to come home during the summer and someone, whether it's you or one of us, can tell him in person." George suggested.

Anna nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think I'll put it off until sometime in July. If no opportunity presents itself for him to be told in person, then I'll write to him."

"Sounds fair." George nodded.

"Right, enough of the sad stuff." Fred stated loudly, gaining the attention of the other occupants in the compartment. "We've only got a few more hours that we're allowed to use magic before the holiday starts. Let's make the most of it."

Over the ride, they played several rounds of Exploding Snap, used the last of the twins' Filibuster Fireworks on some Slytherins in the next compartment over, and practiced disarming each other with their wands. Anna noted that Harry was getting very good at it when he managed to disarm pretty much everyone in the compartment at some point.

"Ginny, what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?" Harry asked as they were nearing Kings Cross Station. Everyone looked between him and Ginny curiously.

"Oh, that." Ginny giggled, "Well, Percy's got a _girlfriend_."

Fred, who had been digging something out of his trunk above their seats, dropped the stack of books he'd grabbed on top of George's head. George didn't seem to notice. " _What_?"

"You mean I was right?" Anna added about the same time, completely shocked.

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater. That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them _kissing_ in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was, you know, attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously, looking particularly worried when she looked at the twins. Anna looked at the twins as well, and instantly knew why Ginny was so worried.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Fred assured her, though the glint in his eyes wasn't comforting. He looked like his birthday had come early.

"Definitely not." George added, sniggering deviously.

"Come on, guys. Don't give him too hard of a time." Anna told them, knowing deep down it was useless.

"He's been writing to her since last summer. So, what, that means he's probably been dating her for nearly a year." George pointed out, glancing from Anna, to Ginny, to Fred.

"Imagine Mum's reaction when she finds out he kept this a secret." Fred added with a growing smirk.

Anna sighed in defeat, rolling her eyes as the train pulled to a stop at the station. She followed the others in getting her things out and following the crowd off the train. It was easy to find her mother, because she was with Molly and Arthur with their flaming red hair.

They quickly approached their parents and Wren instantly pulled Anna into a tight hug.

"Did Dumbledore tell you about the trial?" Wren asked gently, pulling away with her hands on her shoulders.

Anna nodded. "McGonagall told me. July 24th."

Wren nodded briskly before greeting the other kids. While she was talking with Ginny and Hermione, the twins moved to stand on either side of her.

"You'll write a lot over the summer, right?" George asked, draping an arm over her shoulders.

Anna smiled up at him. "Of course I will." she assured them. "And you guys better not send Ariel back to me without a response, either. Because we both know how long Errol would take getting a response to my house."

"Deal." they chorused as Fred slung his own arm over her shoulders so all three of them could give a group hug.

After spending a good ten minutes saying their goodbyes, the different families split up and headed their separate ways for the summer. As Annabelle followed her mum through the crowded station to a place they could Apparate home, she couldn't help letting her mind wander.

When she'd been sorted into Gryffindor House her first year, she couldn't understand why the Sorting Hat thought she'd fit in the House of courage. She wasn't brave. Sure, she'd gotten better since becoming friends with the Weasleys. They dragged her into uncomfortable situations and managed to get her to let loose. And then there was Professor McGonagall's words.

" _Bravery…is doing what's right, facing danger, and pain, and hardship…_ being scared, _…and acting anyway. Bravery isn't a lack of fear, it's facing that fear head-on."_

Maybe Anna was placed in Gryffindor because she needed to learn how to be brave. Even though the thought of facing Flint, of being the center of attention at a trial in front of the whole Wizengamot, telling all of them that she'd been raped, terrified her to no end, she knew she had to do it. She couldn't let him get away with it.

Did that make her brave, then? She certainly didn't feel brave. But she was acting despite her unending fear.

Maybe she did belong in the House of Courage after all.

The End

 **XXX**

 **I'll be posting the first chapter of the sequel right after I've posted this, so go to my page and read it. It's titled 'Family of Courage'.**

 **And remember to review to let me know what you thought of this last chapter, and the story in general.**


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